Evaluation of endoscopic ultrasonography as an indicator for surgical treatment of gastric cancer.
METHODS
Clinicopathological analysis of 346 patients with gastric cancer was made retrospectively and new criteria for the indication of a limited operation using endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) was developed. Suggested new criteria for selecting gastric cancer patients for the limited operation were: (i) the cancer is located in the mucosa and the lymph nodes are not involved as indicated by EUS examination; (ii) the maximum size of the tumour is less than 2.0 cm; (iii) there are no multiple gastric cancers or simultaneous abdominal cancers; and (iv) the mucosal cancer of elevated type less than 2.0 cm is excluded because there are good indications for endoscopic mucosal resection.


CONCLUSIONS
We applied these new criteria to 262 patients and found that the patients who had limited operation had the same prognosis and a better quality of life compared with patients who had the conventional operation.
Fujino
Y
Y
Department of Surgery, Seirei-Mikatabara General Hospital, Hamamatsu, Japan.
Nagata
Y
Y
Ogino
K
K
Watahiki
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D019160:Endosonography; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D015996:Survival Rate