EMR for early gastric cancer in Korea: a multicenter retrospective study.
BACKGROUND
EMR has been accepted as a treatment modality for selected cases of early gastric cancer (EGC) in Japan. However, long-term outcomes after EMR for EGC have not been fully documented.


OBJECTIVE
We reviewed the experiences of EMR for EGC in Korea, with emphasis on the long-term outcome.


METHODS
Multicenter, retrospective study.


METHODS
Data were collected retrospectively by use of the on-line database registry system. From January 2000 to December 2002, 514 EGCs in 506 patients were treated by EMR in 13 institutions in Korea. Median age of the patients was 60 years (range 45-83 years). The resection was regarded as incomplete if histopathologic examination revealed a positive resection margin or submucosal invasion or positive lymphovascular invasion or undifferentiated histologic diagnosis.


RESULTS
The most commonly used technique was circumferential precutting followed by snare resection (EMR-P, n = 269, 52.3%). Complete resection and incomplete resection after EMR were confirmed in 399 lesions (77.6%) and 103 lesions (20.0%), respectively. For completely resected mucosal cancers (n = 399), the median duration of follow-up was 23.5 months (range 5-70 months). In this group, local recurrence was detected in 24 cases (6.0%) with a median interval between EMR and recurrence of 17.9 months (range 3.5-51.7 months). There were 3 cases with perforation and 71 cases with bleeding. No deaths were related to recurrence of gastric cancer during the overall median follow-up period of 39 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Multicenter retrospective design, no controls.


CONCLUSIONS
EMR is an effective therapeutic modality for selected cases of EGC in Korea.
Kim
Jae J
JJ
Department of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Lee
Jun Haeng
JH
Jung
Hwoon-Yong
HY
Lee
Gin Hyug
GH
Cho
Joo Yong
JY
Ryu
Chang Beom
CB
Chun
Hoon Jai
HJ
Park
Jong Jae
JJ
Lee
Wan Sik
WS
Kim
Hyun Soo
HS
Chung
Moon Gi
MG
Moon
Jeong Seop
JS
Choi
Seok Reyol
SR
Song
Geun Am
GA
Jeong
Hyun Yong
HY
Jee
Sam Ryong
SR
Seol
Sang Yong
SY
Yoon
Yong Bum
YB
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome