title: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy-Assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery for Superficial Cancer of the Uvula.
abstract: Previous studies reported that endoscopic resection is effective for the treatment of superficial pharyngeal cancers, as for digestive tract cancers. However, the optimal treatment for superficial cancer of the uvula has not been established because of the rarity of this condition. We present two male patients in their 70s with superficial cancer of the uvula, detected with upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Both patients underwent surgical resection of the uvula under general anesthesia. The extent of the lesions was determined by means of gastrointestinal endoscopy by using magnifying observation with narrow-band imaging, enabling the performance of minimally invasive surgery. Endoscopic submucosal dissection was performed to achieve en bloc resection of the intramucosal carcinoma that had infiltrated the area adjacent to the uvula. Gastrointestinal endoscopists should carefully examine the laryngopharynx to avoid missing superficial cancers. Our minimally invasive treatment for superficial cancer of the uvula had favorable postoperative outcomes, and prevented postoperative loss of breathing, swallowing, and articulation functions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Saiseikai Kawaguchi General Hospital, Saitama, Japan.|Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Health Economics, The University of Tokyo School of Public Health, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Odagiri
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iizuka
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaise
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hidehiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Health Economics, The University of Tokyo School of Public Health, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yasunaga
keywords: Endoscopic submucosal dissection; Minimally invasive surgical procedures; Superficial uvula cancer