title: Effect of rescue surgery after non-curative endoscopic resection of early gastric cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Whether rescue surgery confers a survival benefit in patients undergoing non-curative endoscopic resection of early gastric cancer remains controversial.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective review of patients who underwent non-curative endoscopic resection of at least one lesion of differentiated-type early gastric cancer between 2000 and 2011. Patients with a positive lateral resection margin as the only non-curative factor were excluded. Outcome was investigated by univariable (Kaplan-Meier) and multivariable (Cox proportional hazards) analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Some 341 patients underwent non-curative endoscopic resection for at least one lesion of differentiated-type early gastric cancer. Sixty-seven patients with a positive lateral resection margin as the only non-curative factor were excluded, leaving 274 patients for analysis; 194 had rescue surgery and 80 had no additional treatment. The median duration of follow-up was 60·5 months. Patients who had rescue surgery were younger, had a lower Charlson co-morbidity index score, smaller tumours and a higher lymphovascular invasion rate than patients with no treatment. Among 194 patients who had rescue surgery, intragastric local residual tumours were found in ten (5·2 per cent) and lymph node metastases in 11 (5·7 per cent). Patients with lymph node metastasis were significantly older than those without metastasis; no other significant differences were found. Univariable analysis showed that patients aged less than 65 years, those with a Charlson co-morbidity index score below 4 and patients undergoing rescue surgery had significantly longer overall survival. Five-year overall survival rates in the rescue surgery and no-treatment groups were 94·3 and 85 per cent respectively. In multivariable analysis, rescue surgery was identified as the only independent predictor of overall survival after non-curative endoscopic resection of early gastric cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rescue surgery confers a survival benefit after non-curative endoscopic resection of early gastric cancer.
authors: Departments of Medicine, Samsung Medical Centre, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: E R
authors: ER
authors: Kim
authors: Departments of Medicine, Samsung Medical Centre, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Lee
authors: Departments of Medicine, Samsung Medical Centre, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: B-H
authors: BH
authors: Min
authors: Departments of Medicine, Samsung Medical Centre, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: J H
authors: JH
authors: Lee
authors: Departments of Medicine, Samsung Medical Centre, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: P-L
authors: PL
authors: Rhee
authors: Departments of Medicine, Samsung Medical Centre, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: J J
authors: JJ
authors: Kim
authors: Departments of Pathology, Samsung Medical Centre, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: K-M
authors: KM
authors: Kim
authors: Departments of Surgery, Samsung Medical Centre, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005743:Gastrectomy; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005773:Gastroscopy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome