Published online Dec 16, 2013. doi: 10.4253/wjge.v5.i12.600
Revised: November 22, 2013
Accepted: December 9, 2013
Published online: December 16, 2013
AIM: To clarify the safety and efficacy of repeat endoscopic submucosal dissection (re-ESD) for locally recurrent gastric cancers after ESD.
METHODS: A retrospective evaluation was performed of the therapeutic efficacy, complications and follow-up results from ESD treatment for early gastric cancers in 521 consecutive patients with 616 lesions at St. Luke`s International Hospital between April 2004 and November 2012. In addition, tumor size, the size of resected specimens and the operation time were compared between re-ESD and initial ESD procedures. A flex knife was used as the primary surgical device and a hook knife was used in cases with severe fibrosis in the submucosal layer. Continuous variables were analyzed using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test and are expressed as medians (range). Categorical variables were analyzed using a Fisher’s exact test and are reported as proportions. Statistical significance was defined as a P-value less than 0.05.
RESULTS: The number of cases in the re-ESD group and the initial ESD group were 5 and 611, respectively. The median time interval from the initial ESD to re-ESD was 14 (range, 4-44 mo). En bloc resection with free lateral and vertical margins was successfully performed in all re-ESD cases without any complications. No local or distant recurrence was observed during the median follow-up period of 48 (range, 11-56 mo). Tumor size was not significantly different between the re-ESD group and the initial ESD group (median 22 mm vs 11 mm, P = 0.09), although the size of resected specimens was significantly larger in the re-ESD group (median 47 mm vs 34 mm, P < 0.05). There was a non-significant increase observed in re-ESD operation time compared to initial ESD (median 202 min vs 67 min, respectively, P = 0.06).
CONCLUSION: Despite the low patient number and short follow-up, the results suggest that re-ESD is a safe and effective endoscopic treatment for recurrent gastric cancer after ESD.
Core tip: Although endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is widely accepted as one of the standard treatments for early gastric cancers, there are few reports on re-ESD in the literature. This study clarifies that re-ESD is a safe and effective endoscopic treatment for locally recurrent gastric cancers after ESD.