Esophageal prothesis (EP) is a palliative treatment for inoperable neoplastic stenosis. Ninety-one patients were candidates for EP placement between 1978 and 1983. EP placement was successful in 77 patients. Of these: 85% had primary esophageal cancer; 15% had bronchial or mediastinal carcinoma; 83% had stenosis in the middle third. Dysphagia was the main symptom in 84%, and tracheoesophageal fistulae in 16%. The observed median survival was 3.2 months +/- 1.9 (2 standard deviations [SD]), and the survival rate at 1 year was 7%. With the single-factor analysis method, not one of 12 factors presented any significance (age, sex, general status, anterior treatment, lesion site, endoscopic feature, stenosis diameter, histologic features, metastasis, tracheal involvement, symptoms, and type of prothesis). Two factors had a P value approaching significance: there were slightly longer survival rates in patients with a stenosis diameter less than 7 mm (P less than 0.07), and with stenosis located in the lower third and cardia (P less than 0.07). By multivariate analysis (Cox model), prognostic significance was found in only one factor: the location in the lower third and cardia (P = 0.002, relative risk = 3). The quality of life after EP placement was briefly improved: 80% of 73 evaluable patients had improvement in dysphagia for a mean duration of 3.7 months +/- 2 (2 SD), especially patients with a good general status (0 and 1; P less than 0.01); and 45% of patients had improvement of their general status for a mean duration of 4.1 months +/- 2 (2 SD). Minor complications related to EP placement were observed in 40% of patients (pain, obstruction, and mobilization), and severe complications were observed in 20% (perforation, 11 cases; fistulae, 5 cases, with death in 3 cases; hemorrhages, 4 cases). In conclusion, EP is a good palliative treatment, although complications are frequent, and evaluation of patient comfort is required to compare this procedure with other available techniques.