ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) has been accepted as a treatment option for cases of early gastric cancer (EGC) where the probability of lymph node metastasis is low. The purpose of this study was to define the indication and limitation of EMR of EGC. METHODS: We studied thirty-five cases of EGC treated by EMR in Chungnam National University Hospital from January, 1999 to July, 2001. RESULTS: The rate of complete resection on EGC was 94.3% (33/35). The size affected the curability; 94.4% (17/18) of lesions less than 10 mm, 93.3% (14/15) of lesions 11 to 20 mm and 100% (2/2) of those larger than 20 mm were resected completely. The depth of cancer invasion also affected the curability; 100% of lesion was confined to mucosa while 71.4% of those invaded submucosa. Of the thirty-three lesions which were completely resected, twenty-seven lesions had no recurrences during the follow-up period, four lesions were residual cancers and two developed local recurrences. CONCLUSIONS: In curative treatement for EGC with EMR, although follow-up period was short there is a possibility that indications for EMR could extend to the elevated lesion which is larger than 20 mm and to the superficial submucosal (sm1) cancer.