[Endoscopic mucosectomy in incipient gastric malignant lesions]

Abstract

Background: Endoscopic mucosectomy is a routine treatment mode for benign and malignant gastric lesions. The prognosis of patients with endoscopically treated early gastric cancer does not differ from patients subjected to surgical gastrectomy, when the indications for endoscopic mucosectomy are respected.

Aim: To report the experience in endoscopic mucosectomy for early gastric cancer.

Patients and methods: Between 1990 and 1997, 12 lesions in 10 patients, aged 48 to 107 years old, were treated with endoscopic mucosectomy. Clients were followed for 1 to 72 months after the procedure.

Results: Treated lesions ranged in size from 7 to 20 mm. Ten patients had differentiated carcinomas, one had an undifferentiated carcinoma and one had a primary gastric carcinoid. Endoscopic appearance was II a in six lesions, II c + II a in two, II a + II c in one. II c in one, I in one and II c + III in one. In two patients, the tumor persisted and were subjected to oncologic surgery. In one of these no malignant lesion was recognized in the pathological specimen. The other patient had a multicentric carcinoma that was already detected by endoscopy. Neither had lymph node metastases. Endoscopical and pathological follow up in the other 8 patients has not shown persistence or reappearance of malignant lesions during a follow up ranging from 3 to 72 months.

Conclusions: Endoscopic mucosectomy can be a valuable therapeutic alternative in early gastric cancer.