[Usefulness of endoscopic mucosal resection for curative treatment of early gastric cancer].
OBJECTIVE
Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) has been widely accepted as a curative treatment of early gastric cancer (EGC). The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness and limitations of EMR for treatment of EGC by analyzing our own experience.


METHODS
We retrospectively evaluated 51 EGC lesions (45 mucosal and 6 submucosal cancers) from 49 patients who had undergone EMR between Oct. 1997 and Aug. 2002 at Inha Universtiy Hospital.


RESULTS
Among 45 lesions of mucosal cancer, enbloc resection was performed in 13 lesions and piecemeal resection in 32 lesions. Complete resection rates of enbloc and piecemeal resection were 84.6% and 43.8%, respectively (p=0.012). Complete resection rate of the lesions smaller than 1 cm in size was 71.4%, 1 to 2 cm in size 52%, and greazter than 2 cm in size 37.5%. Complete resection rates of well, moderately, and poorly differentiated EGC were 59.4%, 71.4%, and 16.7%, respectively (p=0.048). Thirty-three patients underwent a follow-up endoscopy at I month after EMR and two were found to have residual cancers. One patient who had a piecemeal EMR showed cerical and abdominal lymph node metastasis 10 months after EMR.


CONCLUSIONS
In selected patients with EGC, EMR can be a curative treatment modality. However, complete resection rate is low in large sized and poorly differentiated EGCs and when piecemeal resection is performed.
Hyun
Dong Hyo
DH
Department of Internal Medicine, Inha University College of Medicine, Jung-gu, Incheon, Korea.
Jeong
Seok
S
Lee
Jin Woo
JW
Jeong
Bong Joo
BJ
Ryu
Sung Tae
ST
Lee
Chang Kun
CK
Kim
Myung Sik
MS
Kwon
Kye Sook
KS
Lee
Don Haeng
DH
Kim
Pum Soo
PS
Kim
Hyung Gil
HG
Shin
Yong Woon
YW
Kim
Young Soo
YS
D000368:Aged; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*