ENDOSCOPIC TREATMENT OF EARLY ESOPHAGEAL OR GASTRIC-CANCER

Background and Aims-Endoscopic treatment has become increasingly popul ar in recent years as an alternative to surgical treatment with the ho pe of offering superior quality of Life (QOL) for the patient. The res ults of endoscopic treatment of mucosal lesions of mostly early oesoph ageal or gastric cancer performed in 145 patients (155 lesions) over t he past eight years were reviewed from the standpoint of QOL. Results- In 56 patients who underwent radical resection of the oesophageal muco sa, no serious complications and symptoms occurred, with epithelialisa tion completed within about a month. Patients also showed good results regarding dietary intake and performance status (PS), and all are cur rently alive without any sign of recurrence. One time fractionated end oscopic resection was carried out in about 40% of the 57 patients who underwent gastric mucosal resection. In these 57 patients, an artifici al ulcer measuring 3 cm or more was formed, resulting in a favourable outcome after healing. An overwhelming proportion of these subjects ha d no symptoms and good PS after the treatment. Conclusions-The introdu ction of this method, endoscopic mucosal resection using a cap fitted panendoscope, is expected to permit additional indications for endosco pic treatment. Endoscopic Nd-YAG laser irradiation was applied mainly to early gastric cancer lesions (32 patients), usually for relative in dications for endoscopic treatment. This procedure is safe and advanta geous in that it requires no hospitalisation, permits fractionated irr adiation, and secures good QOL.