Current indications for endoscopic submucosal dissection of early gastric cancer

The development of endoscopic treatment technology has further promoted the minimally invasive treatment of early gastric cancer(EGC).Endoscopic treatment has achieved better therapeutic effects in terms of safety and prognosis and is the preferred treatment method for patients who meet the indications for endoscopic treatment.However,the consequent problem is that some patients receiving endoscopic treatment may undergo non-curative resection,and the principle of follow-up management for non-curative resection patients deserves further attention.In addition,there are still debates on how to improve the accuracy of clinical staging,select a reasonable treatment method for patients who meet the expanded indications for endoscopic treatment,manage patients with positive endoscopic surgical margins,conduct research on function-preserving surgery,and manage the treatment of EGC under the current situation in China.Consequently,we aim to review current indications for endoscopic submucosal dissection of EGC in order to better inform treatment options.

Role of endoscopic ultrasound for pre-intervention evaluation in early esophageal cancer

BACKGROUND Endoscopic ultrasound(EUS)stands as an accurate imaging modality for esophageal cancer staging,however utilization of EUS in early-stage cancer management remains controversial.Identification of non-applicability of endoscopic interventions with deep muscular invasion with EUS in pre-intervention evaluation of early-stage esophageal cancer is compared to endoscopic and histologic indicators.AIM To display the role of EUS in pre-intervention early esophageal cancer staging and how the index endoscopic features of invasive esophageal malignancy compare for prediction of depth of invasion and cancer management.METHODS This was a retrospective study of patients who underwent pre-resection EUS after a diagnosis of esophageal cancer at a tertiary medical center from 2012 to 2022.Patient clinical data,initial esophagogastroduodenoscopy/biopsy,EUS,and final resection pathology reports were abstracted,and statistical analysis was conducted to assess the role of EUS in management decisions.RESULTS Forty nine patients were identified for this study.EUS T stage was concordant with histological T stage in 75.5%of patients.In determining submucosal involvement(T1a vs T1b),EUS had a specificity of 85.0%,sensitivity of 53.9%,and accuracy of 72.7%.Endoscopic features of tumor size>2 cm and the presence of esophageal ulceration were significantly associated with deep invasion of cancer on histology.EUS affected management from endoscopic mucosal resection/submucosal dissection to esophagectomy in 23.5%of patients without esophageal ulceration and 6.9%of patients with tumor size<2 cm.In patients without both endoscopic findings,EUS identified deeper cancer and changed management in 4.8%(1/20)of cases.CONCLUSION EUS was reasonably specific in ruling out submucosal invasion but had relatively poor sensitivity.Data validated endoscopic indicators suggested superficial cancers in the group with a tumor size<2 cm and the lack of esophageal ulceration.In patients with these findings,EUS rarely identified a deep cancer that warranted a change in management.