ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: As a result of endoscopic development and diagnostic technical improvements, the detection rate of early gastric cancer (EGC) has been increased and the prognosis of patients has been improved with surgical treatment. The most important factor for the prognosis of patients with EGC is the presence of regional lymph node metastasis, whose incidence is approximately 3% in patients with intramucosal EGC and 20% in patients with submucosal EGC. Recently, endoscopic resection has become the modality of treatment widely accepted in well selected cases of EGC. We have reviewed the results of endoscopic resection of EGC during 10 years and follow-up. METHODS: Over a ten year period from 1989 to 1999, 47 EGCs were resected endoscopically and the mean age of patients was 62.6 +/- 9.5 years. Thirty-six cases were treated by endoscopic mucosal resection and 11 cases were treated by snare polypectomy. RESULTS: Thirty-five cases were defined as complete resection by pathologic study and 33 cases were enrolled in follow-up study group. During follow-up period, there were 6 cases of death which was not related to the original disease. The mean follow-up duration of the survival group was 36.5 +/- 25.7 months. Local recurrence was detected in 1 case and a new lesion developed on the other site in 1 case. CONCLUSION: It appeared that endoscopic resection is an effective therapeutic procedure for some cases of EGC.