Expanded endoscopic therapy criteria should be cautiously used in intramucosal gastric cancer

Objective： Accurate estimation of lymph node metastasis （LNM） in intramucosal gastric cancer is essential to select less invasive treatment options and even avoid surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate combined clinicopathological features to predict the presence of LNM. Methods： A retrospective review of data from 386 intramucosaL gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy with extended lymphadenectomy from 2003 to 2010 was conducted. The mutual relation between clinicopathological characteristics and LNM was analyzed. Results： LNM was detected in 40 （10.4%） of the 386 patients. Histological typeand vascular or lymphatic invasion presence showed a positive correlation with LNM occurrence by univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis revealed that histological type was the only factor associated with LNM. Combined clinicopathologic characteristics would be more predictable for LNM. We found no LNM when we used combined clinicopathological characteristics conforming to Japanese absolute indications for endoscopic therapy. The LNM rate was as high as 8.7% when Japanese expanded criteria were used. Univariate analysis in cancer conformity to expand endoscopic submucosal dissection （ESD） indication also revealed that the undifferential type was the only significant factor for LNM. Conclusions： It was possible to predict intramucosal gastric cancer cases without LNM using combined clinicopathological characteristic analysis. Extended indication for ESD should be cautiously used for intramucosal gastric cancer patients.

Feasibility study on expanded indication for endoscopic submucosal dissection of intramucosal poorly differentiated early gastric cancer

AIM: To identify clinicopathological factors predictive of lymph node metastasis(LNM) in intramucosal poorly differentiated early gastric cancer(EGC), and further to expand the possibility of using endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD) for the treatment of intramucosal poorly differentiated EGC.METHODS: Data for 81 surgically treated patients with intramucosal poorly differentiated EGC were collected, and the association between the clinicopathological factors and the presence of LNM was retrospectively analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Odds ratios(ORs) with 95% confidence intervals(CIs) were calculated. Several clinicopathologic factors were investigated to identify predictive factors for lymph nodes metastasis, including gender, age, family history of gastric cancer, number of tumors, tumor location, ulceration, tumor size, macroscopic type, lymphatic vessel involvement, and signet-ring-cell component.RESULTS: Tumor size(OR = 7.273, 95%CI: 1.246-29.918, P = 0.042), lymphatic vessel involvement(OR = 42.219, 95%CI: 1.923-97.052, P = 0.018) and signet-ring-cell component(OR = 17.513, 95%CI: 1.647-77.469, P = 0.034) that were significantly associated with LNM by univariate analysis, were found to be significant and independent risk factors for LNM by multivariate analysis. However, gender, age, family history of gastric cancer, number, location, ulceration and macroscopic type of tumor were found not to be associated with LNM. Of these 81 patients diagnosed with intramucosal poorly differentiated EGC, 7(8.6%) had LNM. The LNM rates were 9.1%, 22.2% and 57.1%, respectively, in cases with one, two and three of the risk factors. There was no LNM in 54 patients without the three risk clinicopathological factors.CONCLUSION: Tumor size, lymphatic vessel involvement and signet-ring-cell component are independently associated with the presence of LNM in intramucosal poorly differentiated EGC. Thus, these three risk factors may be used as a simple criterion to expand the possibility of using ESD for the treatment of intramucosal poorly differentiated EGC.

Endoscopic mucosal resection for high-grade dysplasia and intramucosal carcinoma in Barrett's esophagus: An Italian experience

AIM： To evaluate endoscopic mucosal resection （EMR） in patients with high-grade dysplasia （HGD） and/or intramucosal cancer （IMC） in Barrett＇s esophagus （BE）. METHODS： Between June 2000 and December 2003, 39 consecutive patients with HGD （35） and/or IMC （4） underwent EMR. BE 〉30 mm was present in 27 patients. In three patients with short segment BE （25.0%）, HGD was detected in a normal appearing BE. Lesions had a mean diameter of 14.8＋10.3 ram. Mucosal resection was carried out using the cap method. RESULTS： The average size of resections was 19.7± 9.4×14.6＋8.2 mm. Histopathologic assessment postresection revealed 5 low-grade dysplasia （LGD） （12.8%）, 27 HGD （69.2%）, 2 IMC （5.1%）, and 5 SMC （-12.8%）. EMR changed the pre-treatment diagnosis in 10 patients （25.6%）. Three patients with SMC underwent surgery. Histology of the surgical specimen revealed 1 TON0 and 2 TIN0 lesions. The remaining two patients were cancer free at 32.5 and 45.6 mo, respectively. A metachronous lesion was detected after 25 mo in one patient with HGD. Intra-procedural bleeding, controlled at endoscopy, occurred in four patients （10.3%）. After a median follow-up of 34.9 mo, all patients remained in remission. CONCLUSION： In the medium term, EMR is effective and safe to treat HGD and/or IMC within BE and is a valuable staging method. It could become an alternative to surgery.