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Background: The aim of this study was to analyze long-term clinical and oncologic outcomes in patients with early-stage adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG) managed with either endoscopic resection (ER) or surgery., Methods: The inclusion criteria were AEG, meeting classic or expanded indications for ER of early gastric cancer, and complete resection. A total of 66 patients with Siewert type II AEG were included (ER group, n = 38; vs. surgery group, n = 28)., Results: The mean age of the ER group was greater than that of the surgery group (mean ± SD, 66.9 ± 9.7 vs. 58.5 ± 10.4 years, respectively; p = 0.001). Compared to the ER group, macroscopically flat or depressed-type lesions were more common (47.4 vs. 89.3%; p = 0.001), and mean lesion size was larger in the surgery group (13.3 ± 8.4 vs. 18.6 ± 11.0 mm; p = 0.039). One intensive care unit admission and subsequent surgery-related death occurred in the surgery group (1/28 vs. 0/38 in the ER group; p = 0.424). During follow-up, recurrence was detected in both groups (4/38 vs. 1/28; p = 0.385). Overall survival and 5-year disease-free survival did not differ between the groups (93.3 vs. 92.9%; p  = 0.282 and 88.0 vs. 100.0%; p = 0.066)., Conclusions: Once complete resection is achieved in patients with AEG who met the expanded criteria for endoscopic submucosal dissection of gastric cancer, there was no significant difference in clinical outcomes between ER and surgery.

Background: The treatment of intramucosal early gastric cancer with undifferentiated-type histologies (UD-EGCs) using endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is controversial. This study aimed to compare the clinical and oncologic long-term outcomes of ESD and surgery for UD-EGCs., Methods: A prospectively collected database of patients who underwent ESD or surgery between January 2006 and December 2012 was established. Patients who diagnosed with UD-EGC and satisfied the expanded indications of ESD were included. Clinical data from 111 patients treated with ESD and 382 patients underwent surgery were analyzed, and 1-1 propensity score-matched 81 pairs of patients were also compared., Results: In both groups, two-thirds of the UD-EGCs had signet ring cell (SRC)-type histology and about 90% of UD-EGCs were flat or depressed types. The mean size of tumors was smaller in ESD group (9.7 vs. 13.2 mm; P < 0.001). After propensity score-matched, case-matching covariates were not significantly different between the groups. Disease-free survival (DFS) was significantly shorter in the ESD group, but overall survival (OS) was not different between the two groups both in overall comparison (DFS; P < 0.001 and OS; P = 0.078) and propensity score-matched analysis (DFS; P < 0.001 and OS; P = 0.850). According to histologic type, OS of SRC histology was not different between the group, both in overall comparison and propensity score-matched analysis (P = 0.286 and P = 0.210). On the other hands, OS of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma was significantly shorter in ESD group in overall comparison (P = 0.007), but was not as so in propensity score-matched analysis (P = 0.088)., Conclusions: ESD might be a complementary option for the treatment of UD-EGCs, especially in those with SRC-type histology based on strict expanded indications. Nonetheless, close endoscopic surveillance is required because of a high incidence of intragastric recurrence.

Background: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is accepted as a standard treatment in patients with early gastric cancer (EGC) who have a negligible risk of lymph node metastasis. The aim of this study was to compare the short-term and long-term outcomes between ESD and surgery in patients with EGC that fulfilled the expanded indication of ESD on their final pathologic report., Methods: We reviewed the clinical data of patients who underwent gastric ESD and surgery between January 2007 and December 2012. Patients with pathologically confirmed EGC that fulfilled the expanded indication of ESD on their final pathologic report were analyzed., Results: Among 2023 patients, 817 (40.4%) underwent ESD and 1206 (59.6%) underwent surgery. The proportion of cases meeting the absolute indication was significantly higher in the ESD group than in the surgery group (66.0 vs. 26.2%). Lesions on the middle third, >3 cm in size, flat or depressed, and of undifferentiated histology were significantly more common in the surgery group than in the ESD group. The ESD group showed lower acute complication rates [8.1% (66 of 817) vs. 18.1% (218 of 1206), P ≤ 0.001] and procedure-related mortality [0 vs. 0.3% (4 of 1206), P = 0.153] than the surgical group. The annual incidence of recurrent gastric cancer was 2.18% in the ESD group and 0.19% in the surgery group. The 5-year overall and disease-specific survival rates were not significantly different between the ESD group and the surgery group (overall survival: 96.4 vs. 97.2%, P = 0.423; disease-specific survival: 99.6 vs. 99.2%, P = 0.203)., Conclusions: Although EGC lesions had poorer features in the surgery group than in the ESD group, ESD was comparable to surgery for EGCs that fulfilled the expanded indication of ESD, with lower rates of acute complication and comparable overall survival.

Background and Study Aims: Endoscopic resection (ER) is accepted as a curative treatment option for selected cases of early gastric cancer (EGC). Although additional surgery is often recommended for patients who have undergone non-curative ER, clinicians are cautious when managing elderly patients with GC because of comorbid conditions. The aim of the study was to investigate clinical outcomes in elderly patients following non-curative ER with and without additive treatment., Patients and Methods: Subjects included 365 patients (>75 years old) who were diagnosed with EGC and underwent ER between 2007 and 2015. Clinical outcomes of three patient groups [curative ER (n = 246), non-curative ER with additive treatment (n = 37), non-curative ER without additive treatment (n = 82)] were compared., Results: Among the patients who underwent non-curative ER with additive treatment, 28 received surgery, three received a repeat ER, and six experienced argon plasma coagulation. Patients who underwent non-curative ER alone were significantly older than those who underwent additive treatment. Overall 5-year survival rates in the curative ER, non-curative ER with treatment, and non-curative ER without treatment groups were 84, 86, and 69 %, respectively. No significant difference in overall survival was found between patients in the curative ER and non-curative ER with additive treatment groups. The non-curative ER groups were categorized by lymph node metastasis risk factors to create a high-risk group that exhibited positive lymphovascular invasion or deep submucosal invasion greater than SM2 and a low-risk group without risk factors. Overall 5-year survival rate was lowest (60 %) in the high-risk group with non-curative ER and no additive treatment., Conclusions: Elderly patients who underwent non-curative ER with additive treatment showed better survival outcome than those without treatment. Therefore, especially with LVI or deep submucosal invasion, additive treatment is recommended in patients undergoing non-curative ER, even if they are older than 75 years.

Introduction: Perforation is one of the major complications of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). In the present study, we investigated the clinical outcomes of and management strategies for ESD-related perforations., Methods: Between February 2010 and April 2014, a total of 3821 patients who underwent ESD for an upper gastrointestinal epithelial neoplasm were analyzed using the Yonsei University Severance Hospital database. Clinical outcomes of and management strategies for perforations in 90 patients (2.4 %) were analyzed. The risk factors for the development of perforation were also investigated., Results: The mean age of our subjects was 64.7 ± 12.2 years (male to female ratio, 3.2:1), and the mean size of the resected specimens was 39.4 ± 12.5 mm. Endoscopically visible perforations (visible perforation group) were noted in 74 of the 90 patients (82.2 %), and clinically suspected perforations (suspected perforation group) were noted in 16 patients (17.8 %). Immediate closure with endoclips was attempted in cases with a visible perforation and was successful in 72 (97.3 %) cases. Two patients in whom endoscopic closure failed underwent surgery. Conservative care, including fasting and intravenous antibiotic administration, was attempted in the suspected perforation group, and all the patients were treated successfully without surgery. The mean durations of fasting, antibiotic treatment, and hospital stay were 3.8 ± 3.1, 6.8 ± 4.2, and 8.7 ± 5.3 days, respectively. Subgroup analysis of perforation type (visible perforation vs. suspected perforation) revealed no significant difference in the clinical course. Tumor location at the upper or middle third of the stomach was significantly associated with perforation., Conclusion: Most of the ESD-related perforations in upper gastrointestinal epithelial neoplasm could be managed successfully in a non-surgical manner under strict monitoring.

Background: The role of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in gastric cardia cancer should be further evaluated because the accuracy of EUS depends on tumor location. We aimed to identify a specific role of EUS for therapeutic decision-making in patients with gastric cardia cancer., Methods: Initial EUS examinations for treatment-naïve gastric cancer that were followed by endoscopic resection or surgery were included in the study. Lesions were classified as cardiac and non-cardiac cancer according to tumor location. The diagnostic performance of EUS in predicting invasion depth was compared between the two groups., Results: The overall accuracy of EUS in predicting invasion depth did not differ between the cardiac and non-cardiac cancer groups (44.4 vs. 52.3 %, P = 0.259). The underestimation rate was higher in the cardiac cancer group than in the non-cardiac cancer group (37.0 vs. 18.5 %, P = 0.001). When the depth of invasion was predicted to be deeper than the mucosa (submucosal or deeper) by EUS, the positive predictive value was 82.1 [95 % confidence interval (CI), 66.5-92.5 %] and 62.9 % (95 % CI, 60.5-66.9 %) in the cardiac and non-cardiac cancer groups, respectively (P = 0.015). In multivariable analysis, tumor location in the cardia was found to be an independent factor for the underestimation of invasion depth [odds ratio (95 % CI) = 2.242 (1.156-4.349)]., Conclusions: The underestimation rate in predicting invasion depth was significantly higher for cardiac cancers than for non-cardiac cancers. Therefore, selection of the treatment method for gastric cardia cancer via EUS should be done carefully.

Background: Synchronous gastric neoplasms are not infrequently detected, thus endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for multiple early gastric neoplasia is occasionally considered. However, there have been few investigations of the safety and feasibility of simultaneous ESD for multiple gastric lesions. This study aims to evaluate the safety and feasibility of simultaneous ESD for multiple gastric neoplasia., Methods: A total of 1823 patients who underwent ESD for 1929 gastric adenomas or early gastric cancers were retrospectively reviewed in this study. Two hundred gastric adenomas or early gastric cancers among 94 patients were treated by ESD simultaneously (multiple group), and 1729 patients were treated with ESD for a single lesion (single group)., Results: En bloc resection (P = 0.060), complete resection (P = 0.362) and curative resection (P = 0.108) rates did not differ between the two groups. Rates of adverse events including bleeding (P = 0.317), perforation (P = 0.316) and aspiration pneumonia (P = 0.563) were not higher in the multiple group. Long-term follow-up showed more frequent local recurrence (P < 0.001), synchronous neoplasia (P = 0.041) and metachronous neoplasia (P < 0.001) per patient in the multiple group; however, local recurrence per lesion did not differ between the two groups (P = 0.103)., Conclusions: Simultaneous ESD for multiple synchronous gastric neoplasms is safe and feasible compared to single ESD. However, thorough examination for local recurrence and synchronous and metachronous neoplasia is required.

Background: Safety of endoscopic resection (ER) for early gastric cancers (EGC) with mixed histology predominantly of differentiated type has not been securely established, since those lesions tend to exhibit lymph node metastasis, compared to pure differentiated type. The purpose of this study was to evaluate clinicopathologic characteristics, therapeutic outcomes, and risk for lymph node metastasis in predominantly differentiated mixed EGC treated by ER., Methods: A total of 1,016 patients with 1,039 EGCs underwent ER between January 2007 and June 2013. Enrolled lesions were divided into groups of either pure differentiated (n = 1,011) or predominantly differentiated mixed (n = 28), according to the presence of mixed histology predominantly of differentiated type in ER specimen., Results: Mixed histology predominantly of differentiated type was diagnosed in 2.7% of lesions. Larger size, mid-third location, and moderately differentiated histology on forceps biopsy were independent risk factors for the predominantly differentiated mixed histologic type of EGC in multivariate analysis. En bloc resection rate tended to be lower, and complete and curative resection rates were significantly lower in the predominantly differentiated mixed group. The rate of lymph node metastasis in the lesions with additional operation tended to be higher, in this mixed histology group., Conclusions: Larger size, mid-third location, and moderately differentiated histology on forceps biopsy carry the significant risk for mixed histology predominantly of differentiated type. EGC with predominantly differentiated mixed histologic type affects therapeutic outcomes and consequent clinical course accompanied by possibly higher risk for lymph node metastasis. The safety of ER for predominantly differentiated mixed EGC should be validated by further prospective investigation.

Background: Although pain is a common complication of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), management strategies are inadequate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of topical bupivacaine and triamcinolone acetonide for abdominal pain relief and as a potential method of pain control after ESD for gastric neoplasia., Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 111 eligible patients with early gastric neoplasm were randomized into one of three groups: bupivacaine (BV) only, bupivacaine with triamcinolone (BV-TA), or placebo. The present pain intensity (PPI) score and the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) were used to evaluate pain at 0, 6, 12, and 24 h after ESD., Results: The mean values for the 6-hour PPI in the BV-TA and BV groups were lower than those of the placebo group (1.57 ± 1.09 and 1.97 ± 1.09 vs. 2.63 ± 0.98, p < 0.001). The 12-hour PPI of the BV-TA group (1.20 ± 0.83) was the lowest among the three groups (p = 0.001). The total 6-hour SF-MPQ score, especially in the sensory domain, was higher in the placebo group than in BV and BV-TA groups. The 12-hour SF-MPQ score was the lowest in the BV-TA group. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that BV-TA injection protocol, fibrosis, and size of residual ulcer were independently associated with the PPI score at 6 h., Conclusion: Bupivacaine after ESD was effective for pain relief at 6 h postoperatively. Particularly, topical infiltration of bupivacaine mixed with triamcinolone acetonide was helpful for producing a more long-lasting benefit of pain relief after gastric ESD.

Background: In early gastric cancer (EGC) and gastric adenoma, residual tumors may develop despite complete endoscopic resection (ER). To improve the chance of curative resection, we investigated the risk factors of residual tumor development in completely resected gastric epithelial neoplasia after ER., Methods: In total, 3,879 gastric epithelial neoplasms showing complete resection after ER were examined; 46 (1.2 %) residual tumors were found upon follow-up endoscopy. Clinicopathological characteristics were evaluated between those with and without residual tumors., Results: For gastric adenoma, high-grade dysplasia and severe intestinal metaplasia (IM) in the background mucosa were significantly associated with residual tumors. For EGC, poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma (PD), signet ring cell carcinoma (SRC), having a minimum lateral safety margin of <3 mm, and localization in the upper third of the stomach were significantly associated with residual tumors. Multivariate analysis revealed that a lateral safety margin of <3 mm (OR 13.8; p < 0.001), PD (OR 16.3; p = 0.014), and SRC (OR 9.8; p = 0.009) among EGC patients, and severe IM in the background mucosa (OR 9.0; p = 0.024) among gastric adenoma patients, were significantly associated with residual tumors., Conclusions: For neoplasms with undifferentiated histology (PD or SRC), short-term endoscopic follow-up may help to detect residual tumors that form after complete resection via ER. For EGC, the lateral margin may be considered safe if greater than 3 mm. However, the possibility of satellite lesions should be investigated when the gastric adenoma to be resected is surrounded by severe IM.

Background: The application of endoscopic resection (ER) for undifferentiated-type early gastric cancer (UD-EGC) remains controversial. The aim was to examine long-term outcomes of ER for UD-EGC. Furthermore, we investigated whether long-term outcomes of ER differed between poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma (PD) and signet ring cell carcinoma (SRC)., Methods: From 2001 to 2011, 209 lesions in 209 patients with UD-EGC (82 PD; 127 SRC) were treated by ER. We retrospectively assessed the clinical outcomes of ER in 209 patients. The survival rate and disease-free survival rates after ER were evaluated as long-term outcomes., Results: The en bloc resection and curative resection (CR) rates were 91.4 and 55.0 %, respectively. The en bloc and CR rates in PD were 90.2 and 45.1 %, whereas those in SRC were 92.1 and 61.4 %. For patients with PD who underwent non-curative resections, 51.1 % were vertical-cut end-positive and for those with SRC, 63.3 % were lateral-cut end-positive, a statistically significant difference. In those patients where CR was achieved, no case of local recurrence or distant metastasis was observed during the follow-up period (32.7 ± 22.2 months). The 3- and 5-year survival rates were 99.0 and 98.6 %, with no significant difference between CR patients with SRC and PD., Conclusions: ER may yield good long-term outcomes for UD-EGC if CR is achieved, with no difference between PD and SRC. However, to increase the current CR rate of ER, stricter criteria for performing ER in UD-EGC may be required.

Background: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is the gold standard technique for en bloc resection of large superficial tumors in the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract. Little is known about the management of epigastric pain after ESD of gastric neoplasms. This study investigated the utility and safety of single-dose, perioperative, intravenous dexamethasone for epigastric pain relief following ESD., Methods: The efficacy of intravenous dexamethasone 0.15 mg/kg (DEXA group) compared with saline-only placebo (placebo) for epigastric pain after ESD of early gastric neoplasms was assessed in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Patients completed a questionnaire about present pain intensity (PPI) and short-form McGill pain (SF-MP) categories for immediate and 6-, 12-, and 24-h postoperative periods. The primary outcome variable was PPI at 6 h following ESD. Secondary outcome variables included pain medication, SF-MP scores, complications, second-look endoscopic findings, and length of stay., Results: A total of 36 patients participated in the study. The mean 6-h PPI value was lower (p < 0.001) in the DEXA group (1.61 ± 0.21) than in the placebo group (2.66 ± 0.19). The total 6-h SF-MP score, especially the sensory domain, was higher (p = 0.054) in the placebo group (11.56 ± 0.75) than in the DEXA group (8.89 ± 0.75). Tramadol for epigastric pain relief was more frequent (p = 0.026) in the placebo group (44.4%) than in the DEXA group (11.1%). No differences were noted between groups in length of stay or complications, including acute or delayed bleeding. The distribution of artificial ulcer patterns at 48-h post-ESD as determined by second-look endoscopy was similar in both groups., Conclusion: Single-dose perioperative intravenous dexamethasone after ESD effectively relieved epigastric pain 6 h postoperatively.

Background: Accurate tumor size measurement is critical for selecting proper candidates for endoscopic resection (ER) of early gastric cancer (EGC). However, size discrepancy between endoscopic size and pathologic size often occurs during ER for EGC., Objective: The purposes of this study were to investigate the clinicopathological characteristics related to size discrepancy and the clinical implications of size discrepancies in terms of therapeutic outcomes., Methods: Between April 2006 and June 2013, a total of 820 patients with 826 EGCs underwent ER. Enrolled lesions were categorized into the following three groups based on size discrepancy between endoscopic size and pathologic size: well-estimated (N = 308), underestimated (N = 215), or overestimated (N = 303) lesions. The well-estimated group was defined as lesions with a ratio of endoscopic size to pathologic size from 0.7 to 1.3., Results: The overall median size discrepancy was 5.0 mm (interquartile range 2.0-9.0). Size, location, macroscopic type, primary tumor stage, and histology differed significantly between the three groups. Larger size [odds ratio (OR) 5.07, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 3.38-7.59, p < 0.001], flat/depressed type (OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.15-2.55, p = 0.008), and undifferentiated histology (OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.31-3.83, p = 0.003) were independent risk factors for endoscopic size underestimation in multivariate analysis. Smaller size (OR 10.95, 95% CI 4.64-25.87, p < 0.001) was the only independent predictor for endoscopic overestimation of size. Significantly lower complete resection and curative resection rates were detected in the underestimated group compared with the well-estimated group, while the complete resection rate in the overestimated group tended to be higher than in the well-estimated group. There was no significant difference of curative resection rate between the overestimated and the well-estimated groups., Conclusions: Larger size, flat/depressed type, and undifferentiated histology of EGC carry a significant risk for endoscopic underestimation of lesion size, which results in the lower rates of complete and curative resections for EGC. Further studies to reduce size discrepancy are warranted.

Background: Histologic discrepancies among specimens obtained by forceps biopsy and endoscopic resection (ER) between the differentiated and undifferentiated types often occur in early gastric cancer (EGC). This study aimed to evaluate the predictive clinicopathologic characteristics and clinical implications of histologic discrepancies in EGC., Methods: From August 2005 to March 2012, 596 lesions from 579 patients underwent ER for EGC. The lesions studied were diagnosed as the differentiated histologic type from forceps biopsy specimens. The lesions were grouped according to the occurrence of histologic discrepancy between the differentiated and undifferentiated types in specimens obtained by ER as concordant (n = 570) or discordant (n = 26). The main outcome measures were en bloc resection, complete resection, and curative resection rates., Results: The histologic discrepancy rate was 4.4% among the studied lesions. Larger size, lesion location in the mid third of the stomach, easy friability, exudates, and submucosal invasion shown on endoscopic ultrasound were significantly related to histologic discrepancy in the univariate analysis. In the multivariate analysis, lesion location in the mid third of the stomach [odds ratio (OR) 5.34, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.59-19.13] and easy friability (OR 29.26, 95% CI 2.30 to >999.9) were significant factors associated with histologic discrepancy. The complete resection and curative resection rates were significantly lower and the additional operation rates after ER were significantly higher in the discordant group., Conclusions: The EGCs with histologic discrepancy between the differentiated and undifferentiated types changed the therapeutic outcomes of ER. Easily friable lesions located in the mid third of the stomach carry a significant risk for histologic discrepancy in undifferentiated histology when ER of EGCs is performed.

Background: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a standard treatment for gastric neoplasia limited to the mucosa without lymph node metastasis. However, there are neither standardized guidelines nor studies on the best time to start oral intake after ESD. The aim of this study was to compare patient satisfaction, safety, length of hospital stay, and economic feasibility between an early post-ESD diet and the conventional immediate fasting protocol., Methods: A total of 130 patients with 156 gastric epithelial neoplasias who underwent ESD by a single expert endoscopist were consecutively and prospectively enrolled. Enrolled patients were randomized to an early diet group or a control group. The early diet group started meals as a clear liquid diet on day 0, and a soft diet and general diet in sequence on day 1. The fasting group was fasted for 2 days. Patients in both groups underwent second-look endoscopy within 2 days following ESD and follow-up endoscopy after 2 months., Results: In the course of the study, ten patients were excluded. The total number of patients in the early diet group and control group was 63 and 57, respectively. Mean age was 62 years (±9.4). There were no significant differences in clinicopathologic conditions or endoscopic results such as procedure time or size of lesions between the two groups. There were no significant differences in abdominal pain score, rate of post-ESD bleeding or healing rate of ESD-induced ulcer between the two groups. However, the early diet protocol led to significantly higher patient satisfaction (p = 0.001), lower hospital costs (p < 0.001), and shorter hospital stay (p < 0.001) than the conventional fasting protocol., Conclusions: An early post-ESD diet protocol provides higher patient satisfaction, is more cost effective, decreases hospital stay, and does not influence complication rates such as post-ESD bleeding, abdominal pain, or ulcer healing compared with the conventional fasting protocol.

Background: Abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan is periodically performed in almost all patients with early gastric cancer after undergoing endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). However, little is known about the diagnostic yield of CT scans for tumors that recurred after curative resection by ESD., Methods: A total of 1,175 mucosal gastric cancers treated by ESD between January 2007 and December 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Of them, 894 initial-onset early gastric cancers with two or more endoscopies with biopsy and one or more CT scans were included for survival analysis., Results: The median follow-up period was 19.7 months (interquartile range, 11.3-35.4 months), during which time 81 lesions recurred. Of these, 35 recurred as an adenoma, whereas the others recurred as cancer. Of the 81 lesions that recurred, 79 were not diagnosed by abdominal CT scan but rather by endoscopy with biopsy. The remaining two lesions, which recurred as metachronous cancers, had suspicious CT scan findings, such as focal gastric wall thickening. The lesions also were confirmed by endoscopic biopsy, which was performed on the same day. None of the lesions was diagnosed by CT scan before pathologic confirmation by endoscopic biopsy., Conclusions: Computed tomography scan has a minor role for the surveillance of mucosal gastric cancer after complete resection by ESD. Endoscopy with biopsy should be the primary surveillance option after ESD.

Background: Although carcinomatosis is not a contraindication to stenting in selected patients with malignant gastric outlet obstruction (GOO), associate factors for clinical success rate of self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) placement in GOO patients with carcinomatosis have not been fully characterized., Methods: We analyzed a total 228 patients who were scheduled for SEMS placement for malignant GOO in tertiary-care academic medical center. All patients were treated with an uncovered or covered SEMS by using the over-the-wire placement procedure. We retrospectively evaluated clinical outcomes of SEMS placement., Results: Technical success was achieved in all patients. Patients were categorized into two groups according to the presence of carcinomatosis. Clinical success rates of patients without carcinomatosis group and with carcinomatosis group were 93.9 % (92 of 98) and 80.8 % (105 of 130), respectively (P = 0.004). In subgroup analysis of patients with carcinomatosis, the clinical success rate was lower in patients with ascites (64.8 %) than in those without ascites (92.1 %, P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression model revealed that carcinomatosis without ascites did not decrease clinical success rate compared with absence of carcinomatosis; meanwhile, carcinomatosis with ascites showed lower clinical success rates compared with absence of carcinomatosis (adjusted odds ratio 0.163, 95 % confidence interval 0.058-0.461). In addition, poor performance status [Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) status ≥ 3, adjusted odds ratio 0.178, 95 % confidence interval 0.078-0.409] was also an independent poor predictive factor for clinical success of SEMS placement., Conclusions: In palliation for malignant GOO, the status of carcinomatosis with ascites and poor performance status (ECOG status ≥ 3) are significant predictive factors for poor clinical success of SEMS placement.

Background: Anastomotic leaks are a life-threatening complication of gastrectomies with high mortality after surgical reintervention. Endoscopic therapy using fibrin glue injection, endoclip, and other devices is an alternative to surgical intervention for anastomotic leaks. Recently, self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) were introduced to treat anastomotic leaks. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical characteristics and therapeutic outcomes of SEMS and nonstent endoscopic therapy (NSET) for treatment of anastomotic leaks after total gastrectomy with the aim of assisting endoscopists in choosing a treatment method., Methods: Between July 2002 and March 2013, 13 patients treated with SEMS and 14 patients treated with NSET for anastomotic leaks after total gastrectomy were enrolled onto the study. Enrolled patients received 16 SEMS placement sessions and 21 NSET sessions., Results: No significant differences in baseline characteristics or clinical characteristics related to leakage were detected in patients with SEMS compared to NSET. The successful sealing rate at the first attempt by SEMS was significantly better than that of NSET (80.0 vs. 28.6 %, P = 0.036), whereas the successful sealing rate after multiple endoscopic treatments was not statistically different (80.0 vs. 64.3 %, P = 0.653). The main reason for reintervention with SEMS was complications and with NSET was nonseal (P = 0.004). Clinical outcomes including length of hospital stay, endoscopic treatment-related mortality, and all-cause mortality were not significantly different between the 2 groups., Conclusions: In terms of efficacy by single effort, SEMS was superior to other methods for treating anastomotic leaks after total gastrectomy. However, complications with SEMS should be considered when choosing an endoscopic treatment method.

Background: Endoscopic submucosal desection (ESD) is an effective treatment for selected patients with early gastric cancer (EGC). The purpose of this study was to examine the short-term and long-term outcomes of ESD of undifferentiated early gastric cancer., Methods: Data for 1,241 patients who underwent ESD for treatment of EGC between February 2003 and May 2010 were collected. We performed a retrospective analysis of the medical records of 74 patients diagnosed with undifferentiated EGC. We divided the enrolled cases into two groups: the expanded-criteria group (EC group) versus the non-EC group, according to lesion size, presence of ulceration, and pathologic review., Results: Of a total of 74 lesions with undifferentiated EGC, as a result of pathologic examination the EC group included 29 cases and the non-EC group included 45 cases. The mean diameter of lesions was 19.86 ± 12.5 mm. The overall rates of en bloc resection and complete resection were 90.5% (67/74) and 73% (54/74), respectively. The curative resection rate was low at 31.1%. If limited to the pathologically diagnosed EC group, the curative resection rate was 79.3% (23/29). During median follow-up periods of 34 months (range 7-81), local recurrences were observed in 5.5% (4/74) of patients. All of these were in the non-EC group and all underwent noncurative resection. There was no mortality related to ESD for treatment of EGC during follow-up., Conclusions: ESD may be a feasible treatment for selected patients with undifferentiated EGC; this should be validated by development of new criteria for ESD for treatment of EGC.

Background: Although proper sedation is mandatory for endoscopic procedures such as endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), there is no research investigating the effects of sedation on ESD performance and complications. We aimed to evaluate the relationship among sedation methods, clinical outcomes, and complications after ESD for gastric neoplasia., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical data of 1,367 patients with 1,485 lesions who had undergone ESD for gastric adenoma or early gastric cancer at our tertiary teaching hospital in Seoul, Korea, between January 2008 and May 2011. Of these, 1,035 lesions in 958 patients were included in the intermittent midazolam/propofol injection by endoscopists (IMIE) group, and 450 lesions in 409 patients were included in the continuous propofol infusion with opioid administration by anesthesiologists (CPIA) group., Results: En bloc resection and complete resection rates were higher in the CPIA group than in the IMIE group (CPIA vs. IMIE; en bloc resection, 99.8 and 95.0 %, P < 0.001; complete resection, 94.2 and 88.3 %, P < 0.001). Duration of procedure was shorter in the CPIA group than in the IMIE group (CPIA vs. IMIE; 48.2 ± 32.5 and 57.6 ± 41.3 min, P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, sedation method was an independent factor associated with en bloc resection and complete resection. Additionally, sedation with CPIA was not a risk factor for bleeding (P = 0.403) or perforation (P = 0.474); however, aspiration pneumonia developed more frequently in patients sedated with CPIA (CPIA vs. IMIE, 4.4 and 1.5 %, P = 0.002)., Conclusions: Sedation with CPIA can improve ESD performance.

Background: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) can be technically demanding and requires great attention to detail and prolonged concentration. We assumed that clinical outcomes of ESDs may be affected by cumulative time, and we aimed to compare complete resection rates and adverse events according to cumulative ESD time., Methods: This study involved 1,328 consecutive patients with 1,461 gastric tumors who underwent ESD from January 2008 to July 2011 in a tertiary-care academic medical center. The main outcome measurements were en bloc resection rate, complete resection rate, bleeding rate and perforation rate., Results: Patients were divided into three groups according to cumulative time intervals (<2 h vs. 2-4 h vs. ≥ 4 h). Complete resection rate did not differ among the three groups, but early post-ESD bleeding (EPEB) rate was significantly different among the three groups (2.5 vs. 3.5 % vs. 6.6 %, P = 0.040). In multivariate analysis, cumulative time period was an independent predictor of EPEB (2-4 h odds ratio [OR] 2.29, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.05-5.01, P = 0.038; ≥ 4 h OR 3.99; 95 % CI, 2.15-7.65, P < 0.001). The rate of perforation was higher in ESDs performed after completing prior endoscopies or outpatient clinic session compared to those performed without prior work (3.8 vs. 1.6 %, P = 0.004). Moreover, prior workload before ESD was an independent predictor of perforation in multivariate analysis (OR 2.77, 95 % CI, 1.37-5.60, P = 0.005)., Conclusions: Our data suggest that cumulative ESD time did not influence en bloc or complete resection rate of ESD, but increased the rate of acute bleeding. Moreover, prior workload before ESDs may increase the risk of perforation.

Background: Endoscopic resection is widely accepted as the primary treatment for early gastric cancer (EGC) without lymph node metastasis. A new and refined technique, endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), may prove to be more effective; however, incomplete resection and local recurrence present ongoing concerns. We sought to determine the clinicopathological features associated with local recurrence in patients with EGC following endoscopic resection., Methods: We enrolled in this study 239 EGC patients treated by endoscopic resection between January 2002 and January 2008., Results: Fifty EGC lesions were treated by conventional endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR group) and 189 EGC lesions were treated by ESD (ESD group). During the follow-up period (mean = 30.3 months), the rates for en bloc resection and complete resection (defined as en bloc resection with negative resection margin) were 64% (32/50) and 60% (30/50), respectively, in the EMR group, and 86.8% (164/189) and 79.9% (151/189), respectively, in the ESD group. We observed seven local recurrences in the ESD group, though only one with complete resection by ESD had a local recurrence. The EMR group showed a significantly higher recurrence rate than did the ESD group (18% vs. 3.7%, respectively, p < 0.001). Incomplete resection significantly increased local recurrence risk, and larger tumor size and use of EMR increased the risk for incomplete resection. Most lesions (3/4) treated with additional argon plasma coagulation for an initial recurrence had recurred again., Conclusions: Despite the potential advantages in treating EGC with ESD, a risk for local recurrence remains. All patients treated with EMR, even with curative resection, and those with incomplete resection after ESD require conscientious surveillance for local recurrence. Furthermore, a large prospective study will be required to determine the best treatment modality for local recurrence.