Organ and function preservation in gastrointestinal cancer: Current and future perspectives on endoscopic ablation

The escalating prevalence of gastrointestinal cancers underscores the urgency for transformative approaches.Current treatment costs amount to billions of dollars annually,combined with the risks and comorbidities associated with invasive surgery.This highlights the importance of less invasive alternatives with organ preservation being a central aspect of the treatment paradigm.The current standard of care typically involves neoadjuvant systemic therapy followed by surgical resection.There is a growing interest in organ preservation approaches by way of minimizing extensive surgical resections.Endoscopic ablation has proven to be useful in precursor lesions,as well as in palliative cases of unrese-ctable disease.More recently,there has been an increase in reports on the utility of adjunct endoscopic ablative techniques for downstaging disease as well as contributing to non-surgical complete clinical response.This expansive field within endoscopic oncology holds great potential for advancing patient care.By addressing challenges,fostering collaboration,and embracing technological advancements,the gastrointestinal cancer treatment paradigm can shift towards a more sustainable and patient-centric future emphasizing organ and function preservation.This editorial examines the evolving landscape of endoscopic ablation strategies,emphasizing their potential to improve patient outcomes.We briefly review current applications of endoscopic ablation in the esophagus,stomach,duodenum,pancreas,bile ducts,and colon.

Clinical efficacy and prognostic risk factors of endoscopic radiofrequency ablation for gastric low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia

BACKGROUND The use of radiofrequency ablation(RFA)has been reported in the treatment of gastric low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia(LGIN).However,its efficacy and prognostic risk factors have not been well analyzed.AIM To explore the efficacy and prognostic risk factors of RFA for gastric LGIN in a large,long-term follow-up clinical study.METHODS The clinical data of 271 consecutive cases from 198 patients who received RFA for treatment of gastric LGIN at the Chinese PLA General Hospital from October 2014 to October 2020 were reviewed in this retrospective study.Data on operative parameters,complications,and follow-up outcomes including curative rates were recorded and analyzed.RESULTS The curative rates of endoscopic RFA for gastric LGIN at 3 mo,6 mo,and 1-5 years after the operation were 93.3%,92.8%,91.5%,90.3%,88.5%,85.7%,and 83.3%,respectively.Multivariate analyses revealed that Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infection and disease duration>1 year had a significant effect on the curative rate(P<0.001 and P=0.013,respectively).None of patients had bleeding,perforation,infection,or other serious complications after RFA,and the main discomfort was postoperative abdominal pain.CONCLUSION RFA was safe and effective for gastric LGIN during long-term follow-up.H.pylori infection and disease course>1 year may be the main risk factors for relapse of LGIN after RFA.

Is endoscopic mucosal ablation a valid option for treating colon polyps?

The present letter to editor is related to endoscopic mucosal ablation(EMA).EMA is safe and effective in the treatment of colonic polyps when endoscopic resection is not possible or available,but the indication of EMA should be determined for a further large number of studies.EMA should be used with caution for larger lesions.

Endoscopy-guided ablation of pancreatic lesions:Technical possibilities and clinical outlook

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)-guided ablation procedures are emerging as a minimally invasive therapeutic alternative to radiological and surgical treatments for locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC), pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (PNETs), and pancreatic cystic lesions (PCLs). The advantages of treatment under endoscopic control are the real-time imaging guidance and the possibility to reach a deep target like the pancreas. Currently, radiofrequency probes specifically designed for ERCP or EUS ablation are available as well as hybrid cryotherm probe combining radiofrequency with cryotechnology. To date, many reports and case series have confirmed the safety and feasibility of that kind of ablation technique in the pancreatic setting. Moreover, EUS-guided fine-needle injection is emerging as a method to deliver ablative and anti-tumoral agents inside the tumuor. Ethanol injection has been proposed mostly for the treatment of PCLs and for symptomatic functioning PNETs, and the use of gemcitabine and paclitaxel is also interesting in this setting. EUS-guided injection of chemical or biological agents including mixed lymphocyte culture, oncolytic viruses, and immature dendritic cells has been investigated for the treatment of LAPC. Data on the long-term efficacy of these approaches, and large prospective randomized studies are needed to confirm the real clinical benefits of these techniques for the management of pancreatic lesions.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided injective ablative treatment of pancreatic cystic neoplasms

With the development of cross-sectional imaging modalities and the increasing attention being paid to physical examinations, the prevalence of pancreatic cystic neoplasms(PCNs) has increased. PCNs comprise a broad differential spectrum with some PCNs having low or no malignant potential and others having high malignant potential. The morbidity and mortality rates related to major pancreatic surgical resection are high. Long-term surveillance may not only increase the financial burden and psychological stress for patients but also result in a missed malignancy. Minimally invasive endoscopic ultrasound(EUS)-guided ethanol ablation was first reported in 2005. Several other agents, such as paclitaxel, lauromacrogol, and gemcitabine, were reported to be effective and safe for the treatment of PCNs. These ablative agents are injected through a needle inserted into the cyst via transgastric or transduodenal puncture. This treatment method has been substantially developed in the last 15 years and is regarded as a promising treatment to replace surgical resection for PCNs. While several reviews of EUS-guided ablation have been published, no systematic review has evaluated this method from patient preparation to follow-up in detail. In the present review, we systematically describe EUS-guided injective ablation with regard to the indications, contraindications, preoperative treatment, endoscopic procedure, postoperative care and follow-up, evaluation method, treatment efficiency, safety profile, tips and tricks, and current controversies and perspectives.

What are the current and potential future roles for endoscopic ultrasound in the treatment of pancreatic cancer?

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Due to the aggressive tumor biology and late manifestations of the disease, long-term survival is extremely uncommon and the current 5-year survival rate is 7%. Over the last two decades, endoscopic ultrasound(EUS) has evolved from a diagnostic modality to a minimally invasive therapeutic alternative to radiologic procedures and surgery for pancreatic diseases. EUSguided celiac plexus intervention is a useful adjunct to conventional analgesia for patients with pancreatic cancer. EUS-guided biliary drainage has emerged as a viable option in patients who have failed endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Recently, the use of lumen-apposing metal stent to create gastrojejunal anastomosis under EUS and fluoroscopic guidance in patients with malignant gastric outlet obstruction has been reported. On the other hand, anti-tumor therapies delivered by EUS, such as the injection of anti-tumor agents, brachytherapy and ablations are still in the experimental stage without clear survival benefit. In this article, we provide updates on well-established EUS-guided interventions as well as novel techniques relevant to pancreatic cancer.

Endoscopic biliary treatment of unresectable cholangiocarcinoma: A meta-analysis of survival outcomes and systematic review

BACKGROUND Endoscopic radiofrequency ablation(ERFA),percutaneous radiofrequency ablation(PRFA),and photodynamic therapy(PDT),when used in conjunction with conventional biliary stenting,have demonstrated a survival benefit in patients with unresectable cholangiocarcinoma.AIM To compare pooled survival outcomes,adverse event rates,and mean stent patency for those undergoing these procedures.METHODS A comprehensive literature review of published studies and abstracts from January 2011 to December 2020 was performed comparing survival outcomes in patients undergoing ERFA with stenting,biliary stenting alone,PRFA with stenting,and PDT with stenting for unresectable cholangiocarcinoma(CCA).RESULTS Data from four studies demonstrated a pooled mean survival favoring ERFA as compared to biliary stenting alone(12.0±0.9 mo vs 6.8±0.3 mo,P<0.001)as well as statistically improved median survival time(13 mo vs 8 mo,P<0.001).Both ERFA with stenting and PRFA with stenting groups demonstrated statistical superiority to biliary stenting alone(P<0.001 and P=0.004,respectively).However,when comparing ERFA to PRFA,pooled data demonstrated overall higher mean survival in the ERFA with stenting cohort as compared to PRFA with stent cohort(12.0+0.9 mo vs 8.1+2.1 mo,P<0.0001).Data from two studies demonstrated a pooled median survival favoring ERFA with stenting as compared to PDT with stenting(11.3 mo vs 8.5 mo,P=0.02).CONCLUSION While further prospective,randomized studies are needed to assess efficacy of ERFA,our metaanalysis demonstrated that this technique offers endoscopists a reasonable palliative method by which to treat patients with unresectable CCA that results in longer survival as compared to biliary stenting alone,percutaneous radiofrequency ablation with biliary stenting,and PDT with biliary stenting as well as an acceptable adverse event profile based on available published data.

Barrett's esophagus with high-grade dysplasia:Focus on current treatment options

High-grade dysplasia(HGD) in Barrett's esophagus(BE) is the critical step before invasive esophageal adenocarcinoma.Although its natural history remains unclear,an aggressive therapeutic approach is usually indicated.Esophagectomy represents the only treatment able to reliably eradicate the neoplastic epithelium.In healthy patients with reasonable life expectancy,vagal-sparing esophagectomy,with associated low mortality and low early and late postoperative morbidity,is considered the treatment of choice for BE with HGD.Patients unfit for surgery should be managed in a less aggressive manner,using endoscopic ablation or endoscopic mucosal resection of the entire BE segment,followed by lifelong surveillance.Patients eligible for surgery who present with a long BE segment,multifocal dysplastic lesions,severe reflux symptoms,a large fixed hiatal hernia or dysphagia comprise a challenging group with regard to the appropriate treatment,either surgical or endoscopic.

Endoscopic resection of gastric and esophageal cancer

Endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD)and endoscopic mucosal resection(EMR)techniques have reduced the need for surgery in early esophageal and gastric cancers and thus has lessened morbidity and mortality in these diseases.ESD is a relatively new technique in western countries and requires rigorous training to reproduce the proficiency of Asian countries,such as Korea and Japan,which have very high complete(en bloc)resection rates and low complication rates.EMR plays a valuable role in early esophageal cancers.ESD has shown better en bloc resection rates but it is easier to master and maintain proficiency in EMR;it also requires less procedural time.For early esophageal adenocarcinoma arising from Barrett’s,ESD and EMR techniques are usually combined with other ablative modalities,the most common being radiofrequency ablation because it has the largest dataset to prove its success.The EMR techniques have been used with some success in early gastric cancers but ESD is currently preferred for most of these lesions.ESD has the added advantage of resecting into the submucosa and thus allowing for endoscopic resection of more aggressive(deeper)early gastric cancer.