Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection in the Stomach and Duodenum: Techniques, Indications, and Outcomes

Gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is established for management of early gastric cancer (EGC). Diagnosis of EGC relies on adequate endoscopic assessment involving lesion size, histopathology, presence of ulceration, and depth of invasion. Absolute indications for endoscopic resection of EGC are if patients are presumed to have a less than 1% risk of lymph node metasta endoscopic submucosal dissectionsis, and long-term outcomes are similar to those with surgical gastrectomy. Duodenal ESD is more technically difficult and requires expertise in ESD in other locations.

Cooperation between artificial intelligence and endoscopists for diagnosing invasion depth of early gastric cancer

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS

The diagnostic ability of endoscopists to determine invasion depth of early gastric cancer is not favorable. We designed an artificial intelligence (AI) classifier for differentiating intramucosal and submucosal gastric cancers and examined it to establish a diagnostic method based on cooperation between AI and endoscopists.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We prepared 500 training images using cases of mainly depressed-type early gastric cancer from 250 intramucosal cancers and 250 submucosal cancers. We also prepared 200 test images each of 100 cancers from another institution. We designed an AI classifier to differentiate between intramucosal and submucosal cancers by deep learning. We examined the performance of the AI classifier and the majority vote of the endoscopists as high confidence and low confidence diagnostic probability, respectively, and cooperatively combined them to establish a diagnostic method providing high accuracy.

RESULTS

Internal evaluation of the training images showed that accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and F1 measure by the AI classifier were 77%, 76%, 78%, and 0.768, and those of the majority vote of the endoscopists were 72.6%, 53.6%, 91.6%, and 0.662, respectively. A diagnostic method based on cooperation between AI and the endoscopists showed that the respective values were 78.0%, 76.0%, 80.0%, and 0.776 for the test images. The value of F1 measure was especially higher than those by AI or the endoscopists alone.

CONCLUSIONS

Cooperation between AI and endoscopists improved the diagnostic ability to determine invasion depth of early gastric cancer.

Current status and future perspective of linked color imaging for gastric cancer screening: a literature review

Screening endoscopy has advanced to facilitate improvements in the detection and prognosis of gastric cancer. However, most early gastric cancers (EGCs) have subtle morphological or color features that are difficult to detect by white-light imaging (WLI); thus, even well-trained endoscopists can miss EGC when using this conventional endoscopic approach. This review summarizes the current and future status of linked color imaging (LCI), a new image-enhancing endoscopy (IEE) method, for gastric screening. LCI has been shown to produce bright images even at a distant view and provide excellent visibility of gastric cancer due to high color contrast relative to the surrounding tissue. LCI delineates EGC as orange-red and intestinal metaplasia as purple, regardless of a history of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) eradication, and contributes to the detection of superficial EGC. Moreover, LCI assists in the determination of Hp infection status, which is closely related to the risk of developing gastric cancer. Transnasal endoscopy (ultra-thin) using LCI is also useful for identifying gastric neoplastic lesions. Recently, several prospective studies have demonstrated that LCI has a higher detection ratio for gastric cancer than WLI. We believe that LCI should be used in routine upper gastrointestinal endoscopies.

Clinicopathological features of endoscopically treated early gastric cancer with lymphovascular infiltration

PURPOSE

Lymphovascular infiltration (LVI) may play a critical role in radicality and prognostic assessment of early gastric cancer (EGC). However, risk factors for LVI in endoscopically resected EGC remain unknown. This study evaluated the clinicopathological characteristics and prognoses of patients who underwent endoscopic resection of EGC to identify potential risk factors of LVI.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study of patients who received gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection between February 1, 2012, and December 31, 2019, at two institutions was conducted. Among 1,462 lesions, 943 met the criteria for radical treatment considering features other than LVI and were included. The lesions were classified based on the presence of LVI. The clinicopathological characteristics of the two groups were compared.

RESULTS

LVI was detected in 17 lesions (1.8%). The positivity rates of LVI were 0.7% (7/903) for intramucosal cancer and 25% (10/40) for submucosally invasive cancer. The LVI positivity rate was significantly higher for mixed-type cancer (lesions containing differentiated and undifferentiated-type carcinoma) than for non-mixed-type cancer (35.3 vs. 2.8%; P < 0.001) and for submucosally invasive cancer than for intramucosal cancer (58.8 vs. 3.2%; P < 0.001). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, independent risk factors for LVI were mixed-type cancer (odds ratio; 95% confidence interval: 23.9; 5.0-115; P < 0.001) and submucosal invasion (58.7; 16.0-215; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Mixed-type cancer and submucosal invasion were risk factors for LVI in endoscopically resected EGC. These factors may play a critical role in the radicality and prognostic assessment of EGC.

Bleeding following Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection for Early Gastric Cancer in Surgically Altered Stomach

INTRODUCTION

Few studies have focused on bleeding following endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in surgically altered stomach. We aimed to reveal the bleeding risk in surgically altered stomach following ESD for early gastric cancer (EGC).

METHODS

We enrolled patients with ESD for EGC at 33 institutions between 2013 and 2016. In study 1, we evaluated bleeding risk following ESD in surgically altered stomach, compared with whole stomach. In study 2, we evaluated factors associated with bleeding following ESD in patients with surgically altered stomach.

RESULTS

Of 11,452 patients, 445 patients had surgically altered stomach with the bleeding rate following ESD of 4.9%. In study 1, the bleeding risk in surgically altered stomach was not significant (odds ratio [OR], 1.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.87-2.17) in the multivariate logistic regression analysis. No significant results were obtained when the surgically altered stomach was subdivided into various types. In study 2, the multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that independent risk factors for bleeding following ESD were ischemic heart disease (OR, 7.52; 95% CI, 2.00-28.25) and P2Y12 receptor antagonist (OR, 4.81; 95% CI, 1.21-19.14).

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION

In this nationwide study, we found that the bleeding risk of surgically altered stomach following ESD for EGC did not significantly differ from that of whole stomach. The risk factors for ESD in patients with surgically altered stomach were ischemic heart disease and P2Y12 receptor antagonist.

A Close Follow-Up Strategy in the Short Period of Time after Helicobacter pylori Eradication Contributes to Earlier Detection of Gastric Cancer

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study was to optimize the surveillance frequency and period for efficient detection of early gastric cancer (EGC) after Helicobacter pylori (HP) eradication.

METHODS

Data from patients with eradicated HP infection were extracted from the endoscopy databases of two institutions from January 2016 to March 2021. The patients were divided into a close follow-up group with frequent surveillance after eradication and an open follow-up group with an intermittent surveillance method, and the cases of post-eradication EGC found in the two groups were analyzed.

RESULTS

Thirty-six out of 9,322 patients (0.39%) in the close follow-up group and 20 out of 11,436 patients (0.17%) in the open follow-up group were found to have EGC. The cumulative incidence of EGC after eradication was significantly higher in the close follow-up group (p = 0.004). The duration between eradication and EGC detection was significantly shorter in the close follow-up group (51.7 vs. 90.5 months, p = 0.002). A logistic regression model revealed that duration after eradication was an independent predictor for detecting EGC in the close follow-up group (p = 0.045). A Cox proportional hazards model revealed that the close follow-up strategy was effective in patients with an eradication duration of less than 65 months to identify EGC (p = 0.015), but there was no difference between the two strategies in patients with an eradication duration of more than 65 months (p = 0.624).

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS

Frequent surveillance after HP eradication is efficient for the early detection of EGC during the first 65 months.

Value of serum pepsinogen, gastrin, and cadherin-17 detection combined with narrowband imaging magnifying endoscopy in distinguishing early gastric cancer and precancerous lesions

BACKGROUND

The early screening of cancer has always been the focus of cancer research. As a common cancer in the world, gastric cancer has had a high incidence rate and mortality for many years, and canceration is difficult to detect. Current detection methods are not ideal for early detection of gastric cancer and precancerous lesions.

AIM

To assess the value of detection of serum pepsinogen (PG), gastrin (G-17), and hepato-intestinal cadherin-17 (CDH-17) combined with narrowband imaging magnifying endoscopy in the identification of early gastric cancer and precancerous lesions.

METHODS

The clinical data of patients with early gastric cancer (106 cases) and precancerous lesions (134 cases) at our hospital from January 2018 to January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent narrow-band imaging magnifying endoscopy and detection of serum PG (including PGⅠ and PGⅡ), G-17, and CDH-17 levels. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of PG, G-17, CDH-17, and narrow-band imaging magnifying endoscopy, alone and in combination, in the diagnosis of early gastric cancer and precancerous lesions were calculated.

RESULTS

In the early gastric cancer group, the incidence of lesions with border limits, mucosal microvascular irregularities, irregular surface ducts, and increased glandular spacing as detected by narrow-band imaging magnifying endoscopy was higher than that in the precancerous lesion group (P < 0.05). The diagnostic coincidence rates of magnifying endoscopy for early gastric cancer and precancerous lesions were 83.02% and 85.07%, respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Serum PGⅠ level in the early gastric cancer group was lower than that of the precancerous lesion group, but there was no significant difference in serum PGⅡ between the two groups (P > 0.05); serum G-17 and CDH-17 levels were higher than those of the precancerous lesion group (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the diagnostic coincidence rates of serum PGI, G-17, and CDH-17 alone (P > 0.05). The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of serum PGⅠ, G-17, and CDH-17 combined with narrow-band imaging magnifying endoscopy in the diagnosis of early gastric cancer and precancerous lesions were higher than those of any serum index alone (PGⅠ/G-17/CDH-17) or narrowband imaging magnifying endoscopy alone (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The detection of serum PG, G-17, and CDH-17 combined with narrow-band imaging magnifying endoscopy has high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in the differential diagnosis of early gastric cancer and precancerous lesions.

Feasibility of same-day discharge following endoscopic submucosal dissection for esophageal or gastric early cancer

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is an established technique for the treatment of early gastrointestinal neoplasia. Generally, multi-day (M-D) admission is required for patients undergoing ESD due to potential complications.

AIM

To evaluate the feasibility of a same-day (S-D) discharge strategy for ESD of the esophagus or stomach.

METHODS

The data of patients who underwent esophageal or gastric ESD were retrospectively collected from January 2018 to December 2021 at Peking University Cancer Hospital. The propensity score matching (PSM) method was applied to balance the unevenly distributed patient baseline characteristics between the S-D and M-D groups. Intraoperative and postoperative parameters were compared between the matched groups.

RESULTS

Among the 479 patients reviewed, 470 patients, including 91 in the S-D group and 379 in the M-D group, fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Following PSM, 78 patients in each group were paired using the 1:1 nearest available score match algorithm. No significant difference was found between groups with respect to intraoperative and postprocedural major adverse events (AEs). Tumor size, complete resection rate, and procedural duration were comparable between the groups. The S-D group demonstrated a significantly shorter length of hospital stay (P < 0.001) and lower overall medical expenses (P < 0.001) compared with the M-D group.

CONCLUSION

The S-D discharge strategy may be feasible and effective for esophagogastric ESD, and the procedural-related AEs can be managed successfully.

Feasibility, efficacy, and cautionary note of endoscopic resection for gastric tube cancer after esophagectomy

BACKGROUND

Gastric tube cancer (GTC), whose usual histology is adenocarcinoma, occurs frequently as a result of improved survival after esophagectomy. Whether endoscopic resection (ER) for GTC is safe and suitable and guidelines for treatment and follow-up remains unclear.

METHODS

Patients with GTC who underwent ER at Kanagawa Cancer Center Hospital between 1997 and 2020 were studied retrospectively to evaluate clinical characteristics and short- and long-term outcomes.

RESULTS

Twenty-two consecutive patients with 43 lesions were treated in 42 sessions of ER. Lesions were discovered at a median of 9.0 (0-21.8) years after esophageal surgery. Nine (40.9%) patients had multiple lesions at the time of the initial ER session. However, six (54.5%) of the 11 co-existing lesions were overlooked. The location of the middle third was an estimated risk factor for overlooking (p = 0.028). In endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) cases, the en bloc dissection rate was as high as 97.1%, and the rates of bleeding, perforation, and aspiration pneumonitis were 17.6%, 0%, and 2.9%, respectively. The bleeding rate was relatively higher than that in usual gastric ESD. Twelve patients (54.5%) experienced synchronous and/or metachronous multiple GTCs during their life span. Thirteen (61.9%) patients died during the median follow-up period of 5.9 (0.7-15.5) years. One patient (7.7%) died of GTC recurrence, 15.4 years after the initial non-curative ER date; 3 (23.1%) patients died of esophageal cancer recurrence, and 3 (23.1%) died of other organ malignancies. The 5-year overall survival rate was 85.0%, and the 5-year disease-specific survival rate was 100%.

CONCLUSIONS

ER is feasible for GTCs. However, the rate of bleeding was high in ESD cases. Life-long endoscopic screening of metachronous lesions is desirable. Care should be taken not to overlook lesions in the middle third of the gastric tube. Early detection of esophageal cancer recurrence and other organ malignancies may improve prognosis.

Applicability of endoscopic submucosal dissection for patients with early gastric cancer beyond the expanded indication for endoscopic submucosal dissection

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) application for patients with tumors beyond the expanded indication for ESD is inconclusive. This study aimed to identify the preoperative clinical features that can be curatively treated with ESD in patients with early gastric cancer (EGC) beyond the indication of ESD.

METHODS

From 2006 to 2016, 673 patients who underwent gastrectomy for EGC beyond the expanded indication for ESD based on preoperative assessments were retrospectively reviewed. We identified tumors curatively resected by ESD based on the postoperative pathologic findings. We also analyzed the clinical and pre-treatment features to determine the risk factors associated with curative resection of ESD.

RESULTS

39% of the patients (263/673) who had undergone gastrectomy had tumors of endoscopic curability A or B (eCuraA/B) that could be treated by ESD alone. In multivariate analysis, tumor size ≤ 10 mm (OR 0.240; 95% CI = 0.12-0.46), no ulceration (OR 0.500; 95% CI = 0.29-0.87), differentiated histology (OR 0.599; 95% CI = 0.43-0.84), and location in the distal two-thirds of the stomach (OR 0.499; 95% CI = 0.28-0.88) in pre-treatment assessment were identified as independent predictors of eCuraA/B. Considering the risk factors, 63.6% (7/11)/61.3% (19/31) of patients with a differentiated/undifferentiated tumor size ≤ 10 mm located in distal two-third of the stomach without ulceration were deemed as eCuraA/B.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that patients with EGC indicated for surgery can be treated by ESD by adding tumor locations in the indication for ESD. Thus, ESD can be applied for patients with a tumor size ≤ 10 mm located in the lower/middle stomach without ulceration.

Linked color imaging improves identification of early gastric cancer lesions by expert and non-expert endoscopists

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Early gastric cancer (EGC) lesions are often subtle and endoscopically poorly visible. The aim of this study is to evaluate the additive effect of linked color imaging (LCI) next to white-light endoscopy (WLE) for identification of EGC, when assessed by expert and non-expert endoscopists.

METHODS

Forty EGC cases were visualized in corresponding WLE and LCI images. Endoscopists evaluated the cases in 3 assessment phases: Phase 1: WLE images only; Phase 2: LCI images only; Phase 3: WLE and LCI images side-to-side. First, 3 expert endoscopists delineated all cases. A high level of agreement between the expert delineations corresponded with a high AND/OR ratio. Subsequently, 62 non-experts indicated their preferred biopsy location. Outcomes of the study are as follows: (1) difference in expert AND/OR ratio; (2) accuracy of biopsy placement by non-expert endoscopists; and (3) preference of imaging modality by non-expert endoscopists.

RESULTS

Quantitative agreement between experts increased significantly when LCI was available (0.58 vs. 0.46, p = 0.007). This increase was more apparent for the more challenging cases (0.21 vs. 0.47, p < 0.001). Non-experts placed the biopsy mark more accurately with LCI (82.3% vs. 87.2%, p < 0.001). Again this increase was more profound for the more challenging cases (70.4% vs. 83.4%, p < 0.001). Non-experts indicated to prefer LCI over WLE.

CONCLUSION

The addition of LCI next to WLE improves visualization of EGC. Experts reach higher consensus on discrimination between neoplasia and inflammation when using LCI. Non-experts improve their targeted biopsy placement with the use of LCI. LCI therefore appears to be a useful tool for identification of EGC.

Linked color imaging-based endoscopic grading of gastric intestinal metaplasia and histological gastritis staging in the assessment of gastric cancer risk

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the value and compare the effectiveness of linked color imaging-based endoscopic grading of gastric intestinal metaplasia (LCI-EGGIM) and operative link on gastric intestinal metaplasia (OLGIM) in risk stratification of early gastric cancer (EGC).

METHODS

Eighty-one patients with EGC who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection were included. The general data and EGC-related risk factors of all participants were recorded. LCI-EGGIM and OLGIM were used for both groups.

RESULTS

The number of patients with LCI-EGGIM score ≥ 5 was significantly higher in the EGC group than in the control group (58.02% vs. 12.35%, p < .001). Furthermore, the number of patients with OLGIM stage III/IV in the EGC group was significantly higher than that in the control group (56.79% vs. 7.41%, p < .001). Multivariate analysis showed that OLGIM stage III/IV (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 29.74, 95% CI: 7.49-117.94) and LCI-EGGIM score ≥ 5 (AOR: 12.33, 95% CI: 3.71-41.02) were significantly associated with EGC. There was no significant difference in the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve between LCI-EGGIM and OLGIM in predicting the risk of EGC (0.74 vs. 0.77, p = .1116).

CONCLUSION

OLGIM and LCI-EGGIM can be used and have the same value for predicting the risk stratification of EGC in patients with gastric intestinal metaplasia.

Characteristics of lymph node stations/basins metastasis and construction and validation of a preoperative combination prediction model that accurately excludes lymph node metastasis in early gastric cancer

Objective

To explore the candidate indications for function-preserving curative gastrectomy and sentinel lymph node navigation surgery in early gastric cancer (EGC).

Methods

The clinicopathological data of 561 patients with EGC who underwent radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer at Peking University Cancer Hospital from November 2010 to November 2020 with postoperative pathological stage pT1 and complete examination data, were collected. Pearson's Chi-square test was used and binary logistic regression was employed for univariate and multivariate analyses. Combined analysis of multiple risk and protective factors for lymph node metastasis (LNM) of EGC was performed. A negative predictive value (NPV) combination model was built and validated.

Results

LNM occurred in 85 of 561 patients with EGC, and the LNM rate was 15.15%. NPV for LNM reached 100% based on three characteristics, including ulcer-free, moderately well differentiation and patient <65 years old or tumor located at the proximal 1/3 of the stomach. Regarding lymphatic basin metastasis, multivariate analysis showed that the metastatic proportion of the left gastric artery lymphatic basin was significantly higher in male patients compared with female patients (65.96% vs. 38.89%, P<0.05). The proportion of right gastroepiploic artery lymphatic basin metastasis in patients with a maximum tumor diameter >2 cm was significantly greater than that noted in patients with a maximum tumor diameter ≤2 cm (60.78% vs. 28.13%, P<0.05).

Conclusions

Characteristics of lymph node stations/basins metastasis will facilitate precise lymph node resection. The NPV for LNM reaches 100% based on the following two conditions: young and middle-aged EGC patients, well-differentiated tumors, and without ulcers; or well-differentiated tumors, without ulcers, and tumors located in the proximal stomach. These findings can be used as the recommended indications for function-preserving curative gastrectomy and sentinel lymph node navigation surgery.

Evaluation of additional gastrectomy after noncurative endoscopic submucosal dissection for early gastric cancer

Background

Performing additional surgery after noncurative endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early gastric cancer is controversial. Our aims are to clarify the risk factors for lymph node metastasis (LNM) and local residual cancer (RC) after noncurative ESD and to determine recommendations for additional treatment.

Methods

Of the 1483 patients who underwent ESD for early gastric cancer between January 2012 and April 2020, we retrospectively analyzed 151 patients diagnosed as having a lesion not meeting the curative criteria after ESD. Of these patients, 100 underwent additional gastrectomy, and 51 were observed without surgery.

Results

Surgical specimens showed LNM in 14 patients (14.0%) and local RC in 7 (7.0%). However, 81 patients (81.0%) had neither of these malignancies. Multivariate analysis revealed that a positive lymphatic invasion (P = 0.035) and an undifferentiated type (P = 0.047) were independent risk factors for LNM, whereas a positive horizontal margin (P = 0.010) was an independent risk factor for local RC. Furthermore, the prevalence of LNM was significantly higher in patients with both positive lymphatic and vascular invasions. In the additional gastrectomy group, 3 patients (3.0%) had recurrences, and 2 patients (2.0%) who had distant recurrences died of gastric cancer. In the observation group, recurrence was observed in 3 patients (5.9%). One patient (2.0%) who had liver metastasis died of gastric cancer. Of the 2 patients (3.9%) who had local recurrences, one underwent additional ESD, and the other without additional ESD died of other disease.

The 5-year overall survival rates in the additional gastrectomy and observation groups were 87.4% and 73.8%, respectively (log-rank test, P = 0.008).

Conclusion

Following noncurative ESD for early gastric cancer, we recommend an additional gastrectomy with lymph node dissection for patients with lymphovascular invasion and/or undifferentiated type. Careful follow-ups without additional surgery may be acceptable for patients with advanced age, severe comorbidity, or no lymphovascular invasion.

Construction and analysis of an ulcer risk prediction model after endoscopic submucosal dissection for early gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been widely used in the treatment of early gastric cancer (EGC). A personalized and effective prediction method for ESD with EGC is urgently needed.

AIM

To construct a risk prediction model for ulcers after ESD for EGC based on LASSO regression.

METHODS

A total of 196 patients with EGC who received ESD treatment were prospectively selected as the research subjects and followed up for one month. They were divided into an ulcer group and a non-ulcer group according to whether ulcers occurred. The general data, pathology, and endoscopic characteristics of the groups were compared, and the best risk predictor subsets were screened by LASSO regression and tenfold cross-validation. Multivariate logistic regression was applied to analyze the risk factors for ulcers after ESD in patients with EGC. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to estimate the predictive model performance.

RESULTS

One month after the operation, no patient was lost to follow-up. The incidence of ulcers was 20.41% (40/196) (ulcer group), and the incidence of no ulcers was 79.59% (156/196) (non-ulcer group). There were statistically significant differences in the course of disease, Helicobacter pylori infection history, smoking history, tumor number, clopidogrel medication history, lesion diameter, infiltration depth, convergent folds, and mucosal discoloration between the groups. Gray's medication history, lesion diameter, convergent folds, and mucosal discoloration, which were the 4 nonzero regression coefficients, were screened by LASSO regression analysis. Further multivariate logistic analysis showed that lesion diameter [Odds ratios (OR) = 30.490, 95%CI: 8.584-108.294], convergent folds (OR = 3.860, 95%CI: 1.060-14.055), mucosal discoloration (OR = 3.191, 95%CI: 1.016-10.021), and history of clopidogrel (OR = 3.554, 95%CI: 1.009-12.515) were independent risk factors for ulcers after ESD in patients with EGC (P < 0.05). The ROC curve showed that the area under the curve of the risk prediction model for ulcers after ESD in patients with EGC was 0.944 (95%CI: 0.902-0.972).

CONCLUSION

Clopidogrel medication history, lesion diameter, convergent folds, and mucosal discoloration can predict the occurrence of ulcers after ESD in patients with EGC.

Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection for Early Gastric Cancer in Patients Aged 85 Years Old or Older Is Associated with a Good Prognosis Compared to Conservative Treatment without Any Invasive Procedure

INTRODUCTION

Studies have reported the feasibility of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early gastric cancer (EGC) in elderly people with respect to both short- and long-term outcomes. As the elderly population in society increases, the requirement for managing super-elderly patients aged ≥85 years with EGC will also increase. This study aims to identify the long-term clinical outcomes of ESD for clinical T1N0 EGC in patients aged ≥85 years.

METHODS

A total of 370 consecutive patients aged ≥85 years with clinical T1N0 EGC who were managed in 11 institutions were reviewed retrospectively. On the basis of treatment strategy, we compared the overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) after performing propensity score-matched analysis between patients undergoing ESD (ESD group) and those not undergoing treatment (conservative treatment group). The potential prognostic factors were also investigated in the propensity score-matched patients.

RESULTS

After propensity score matching, we found that the 3-year OS and DSS rates were significantly higher in the ESD group than in the conservative treatment group (OS, 82.2% vs. 50.5%; p < 0.001; DSS, 100% vs. 80.1%; p = 0.008). Furthermore, ESD was identified as a significant factor for prolonged OS, whereas Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) ≥3 and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) <36.2 were associated with reduced OS.

CONCLUSION

ESD was associated with improved OS in patients with clinical T1N0 EGC aged ≥85 years compared with the absence of treatment. Furthermore, CCI and PNI were helpful for patient selection.

Clinical outcome of the delineation-without-negative-biopsy strategy in magnifying image-enhanced endoscopy for identifying the extent of differentiated-type early gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

The histologic evaluation of biopsy samples collected from the surrounding mucosa has conventionally been used to determine the horizontal extent of early gastric cancer. Recently, optical delineation using magnifying image-enhanced endoscopy (IEE) has been considered an alternative method to histologic evaluation. This study aimed to assess the clinical outcome and efficacy of this method in identifying cancer margins.

METHODS

Overall, 921 patients with 1018 differentiated-type early gastric tumors who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) were examined. Before ESD, the lesions were classified based on whether they have clear or unclear margins on magnifying IEE. When the lesions had clear margins, the marking dots were placed outside the margins without a negative biopsy. Successful delineation was defined as lesions with clear margins and accurate delineation based on histopathological examination. The primary outcome was the accuracy of optical delineation without a negative biopsy compared with histopathological diagnosis. Moreover, the clinicopathological factors associated with an unsuccessful delineation were assessed.

RESULTS

Of 1018 lesions, 820 had a clear margin and 198 an unclear margin. Of 820 lesions with a clear margin, 817 and 3 had an accurate and inaccurate delineation, respectively, according to the histological examination. Accordingly, the accuracy rate of optical delineation was 99.6% (817/820). The significant independent factors associated with an unsuccessful delineation were absence of Helicobacter pylori infection after eradication, tumor size > 20 mm, and moderate differentiation.

CONCLUSIONS

Optical delineation may be an alternative method to histological evaluation in lesions with a clear margin on magnifying IEE.

Laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery for full-thickness resection and sentinel node dissection for early gastric cancer

The endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) technique has become the gold standard for submucosal tumors that have negligible risk of lymph node metastasis (LNM), due to its minimal invasiveness and ability to improve quality of life. However, this technique is limited in stage T1 cancers that have a low risk of LNM. Endoscopic full thickness resection can be achieved with laparoscopic endoscopic cooperative surgery (LECS), which combines laparoscopic gastric wall resection and ESD. In LECS, the surgical margins from the tumor are clearly achieved while performing organ-preserving surgery. To overcome the limitation of classical LECS, namely the opening of the gastric wall during the procedure, which increases the risk of peritoneal tumor seeding, non-exposed endoscopic wall-inversion surgery was developed. With this full-thickness resection technique, contact between the intra-abdominal space and the intragastric space was eliminated.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection for early signet ring cell gastric cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The use of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for treating early signet ring cell carcinoma (SRC) is controversial due to the risk of lymph node metastasis.

AIM

To carry out a meta-analysis to evaluate ESD for therapeutic efficacy and safety in early signet ring cell gastric cancer.

METHODS

The PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE databases were used to search for relevant studies evaluating the therapeutic efficacy and safety of ESD in SRC. The rates of recurrence, complete resection, incomplete resection, curative resection, en bloc resection, and adverse events were extracted and analyzed. The methodological quality of the enrolled studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Publication bias was evaluated by the Egger’s test. Institutional review board approval and written consent were not needed for this report.

RESULTS

This meta-analysis enrolled seven studies with 653 participants undergoing ESD treatment for early SRC. The overall recurrence rate was 0.010 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.000-0.040, Z = 1.422, P = 0.155]. The total lymphovascular invasion rate was 0.038 (95%CI: 0.007-0.088, Z = 3.026, P = 0.002). The total en bloc resection rate was estimated at 0.984 (95%CI: 0.925-1.000, Z = 19.463, P = 0.000). The total complete and incomplete resection rates were estimated at 0.785 (95%CI: 0.596-0.928, Z = 9.789, P = 0.000) and 0.188 (95%CI: 0.016-0.468, Z = 2.531, P = 0.011), respectively. The total procedure-associated gastric hemorrhage and perforation rates were estimated at 0.026 (95%CI: 0.005-0.061, Z = 3.006 P = 0.003) and 0.004 (95%CI: 0.000-0.028, Z = 0.938, P = 0.348), respectively. The curative resection, vertical margin invasion, and lateral margin invasion rates were 72.1% (145/341), 2.3% (8/348), and 34.45% (41/119), respectively.

CONCLUSION

ESD constitutes a promising therapeutic approach for early undifferentiated SRC gastric cancer. However, further improvements are required for increasing its treatment efficacy and reducing adverse outcomes.

Small molecules as potential biomarkers of early gastric cancer: A mass spectrometry imaging approach

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Early detection of gastric cancer is an effective way to decrease the associated mortality. Efficient methods are needed to provide more sensitive biomarkers for detection of early gastric cancer (EGC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed liquid extraction-electrosonic spray ionization mass spectrometry imaging and immunofluorescent staining of enzymes related to lipid synthesis on cancerous and paracancerous tissues obtained from six EGC patients and investigated the serum lipid profiles. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine the diagnostic accuracy of putative biomarkers.

RESULTS

Five lipids detected in the positive ion mode and seven in negative ion mode displayed higher relative intensities in the cancerous than the paracancerous tissues. Seven lipids detected in the positive ion mode and seven in the negative ion mode displayed lower relative intensities in the cancerous than the paracancerous regions. Phosphatidylcholine (34:3) and phosphatidylcholine (36:1) showed higher relative intensities in the cancerous than in the paracancerous tissues and showed higher relative intensities in the serum of EGC patients than healthy controls. Phosphatidylcholine (32:0) showed lower relative intensities in the cancerous than in the paracancerous tissues and lower relative intensities in the serum of EGC patients than healthy controls. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of serum phosphatidylcholine (32:0) and phosphatidylcholine (34:3) for identifying EGC patients were 1.000 and 0.978, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Regions associated with EGC showed different lipid distributions and enzyme expression from the paracancerous regions. Serum Phosphatidylcholine (32:0) and phosphatidylcholine (34:3) are potential biomarkers for discriminating between EGC patients and healthy controls.

Early gastric cancer presenting as a typical submucosal tumor cured by endoscopic submucosal dissection: A case report

BACKGROUND

Submucosal tumor (SMT)-like gastric cancer is rare, and almost all cases undergo curative surgical treatment because the submucosal layer is usually deeply invaded by tumor cells or because histopathologic types of SMT-like gastric cancer are undifferentiated or poorly differentiated. No report has been issued on an SMT-like gastric cancer cured by endoscopic resection alone or on changes in the endoscopic features of this type of tumor over several years.

CASE SUMMARY

We describe an exceptional case of a 53-year-old male with a 1.5 cm-sized SMT-like lesion covered by normal-appearing mucosa discovered by esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) at the gastric antrum. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) visualized a homogeneous, well-circumscribed hypoechogenic lesion arising from the second sonographic layer with associated subtle obliteration of the third sonographic layer. Initial endoscopic biopsy was negative for neoplasm. The patient refused to undergo an invasive procedure and was subsequently lost to follow-up. Three years after initial detection, EGD revealed the lesion had become markedly erythematous, and at 4 years after initial EGD it had increased in size to 1.8 cm and developed a central ulcer and a heterogeneous EUS echo. Finally, endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) was performed, and histopathologic examination revealed a moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma had minutely invaded the submucosal layer (invasion depth 169 μm) but without lymphovascular invasion and with negative resection margins. Fortunately, no additional surgical treatment was required. He has been followed for 4 years after ESD without any evidence of local or distant recurrence.

CONCLUSION

This report describes an extremely rare case of early gastric cancer presenting as SMT that was cured by ESD after a treatment delay of 4 years and the endoscopic changes that occurred during this period. The report highlights the importance of considering the possibility of gastric cancer when SMT is encountered in clinical practice.

A comparative study of demarcation line diagnostic performance between non-magnifying observation with white light and non-magnifying observation with narrow-band light for early gastric cancer

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

With the improvement in endoscopic equipment functions, narrow-band imaging (NBI) for endoscopic observation of the stomach, which is an organ with a large lumen, is now feasible. Studies evaluating the NBI utility without magnifying endoscopy to diagnose the invasion extent for the demarcation line identification in early gastric cancer have not been reported. This study aimed to investigate the demarcation line diagnostic performance of NBI in early gastric cancer compared to that of white-light imaging (WLI) using prospectively collected consecutive specimens from early gastric cancer patients.

METHODS

Thirty consecutive lesions were collected from patients who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection for early gastric cancer. Next, 30 NBI and 30 WLI images, each with the same degree of gastric wall extension, angle, and layout for one lesion, were selected, and a total of 60 images were prepared for testing. The early gastric cancer invasion ranges in the endoscopic images was plotted using the web-developed software, and 264 independent endoscopists, unaware of the diagnosis, performed the web tests, with the concordance rates between the ranges of responses. After estimating the actual early gastric cancer invasion ranges, the NBI and WLI results were compared.

RESULTS

The concordance rates for NBI and WLI images were 43.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 42.5-43.7%) and 37.2% (95% CI 36.6-37.7%), respectively, showing that the concordance rate for NBI was significantly higher than that for WLI.

CONCLUSION

This study suggested that NBI was more useful for identifying demarcation lines than WLI.

Intracorporeal hand-sewn anastomosis following pylorus-preserving gastrectomy: surgical technique and short-term surgical outcome

BACKGROUND

Although several procedures for mechanical anastomosis have recently been reported, intracorporeal manually hand-sewn anastomosis for totally laparoscopic pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (TLPPG) is considered technically difficult. Here, we report a new technique for laparoscopic reconstruction using hand-sewn sutures.

METHODS

Together with a proper lymphadenectomy, the stomach was detached and resected using separate two-layer incisions, similar to the original laparotomy method. An approximately 5-cm antral cuff was left in place. The essential concept of this new method was to align the anastomotic site by rotating each clamped gastric stump. This allowed us to perform a secure, hand-sewn, two-layer anastomosis successfully. The short-term surgical outcome after TLPPG was retrospectively compared with that for patients who underwent a conventional laparoscopy-assisted procedure (LAPPG).

RESULTS

Of the 20 consecutive patients who underwent pylorus-preserving gastrectomy in our department between 2014 and 2021, the first 8 patients and the subsequent 12 patients underwent LAPPG and TLPPG, respectively. The operation time was significantly longer in the TLPPG group (median, 302 vs. 269 min). The morbidity was comparable (8.3% in TLPPG vs. 12.5% in LAPPG). Postoperative delayed gastric emptying was only observed in one patient in the LAPPG group. TLPPG reduced the cost of the operation by reducing the number of linear stapler cartridges required.

CONCLUSION

A purely hand-sewn gastrogastrostomy is safe, feasible, and cost-effective, and it omits the need for a mini-laparotomy in the upper abdomen.

Enhanced Visibility in Evaluating Gastric Cancer and Helicobacter pylori-Associated Gastritis Using Linked Color Imaging with a Light-Emitting Diode Light Source

BACKGROUND

In Japan, laser light source (Laser) endoscopy is widely available, and the characteristics of light-emitting diode light source (LED) endoscopy have not been clarified.

AIMS

We assessed the visibility of early gastric cancers (EGCs) and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-associated gastritis for LED endoscopy compared with laser endoscopy using white-light imaging (WLI) and linked color imaging (LCI).

METHODS

We assessed 99 lesions between February 2019 and March 2020. The visibility was scored from four (excellent visibility) to one (poor visibility) by evaluating videos including EGCs and gastric mucosa captured using WLI and LCI with LED endoscopy (LED-WLI and LED-LCI, respectively) and laser endoscopy (Laser-WLI and Laser-LCI, respectively). The primary end point was the non-inferiority of the visibility of EGCs and H. pylori-associated gastritis between LED-/Laser-WLI and LED-/Laser-LCI.

RESULTS

The visibility scores of EGCs for LED-/Laser-WLI and LED-/Laser-LCI were 3.14/2.97 and 3.39/3.35, respectively. The visibility scores of H. pylori-associated gastritis [intestinal metaplasia (IM), diffuse redness (DR), regular arrangement of collecting venules (RAC) and map-like redness (MR)] for LED-/Laser-WLI and LED-/Laser-LCI were 3.05/2.85 and 3.60/3.50 (IM), 2.76/2.50 and 2.96/2.86 (DR), 2.69/2.44 and 2.77/2.62 (RAC) and 2.97/2.75 and 3.39/3.27 (MR). Non-inferiority was demonstrated for visualizing EGCs and H. pylori-associated gastritis.

CONCLUSIONS

LED-WLI and LED-LCI can be used to visualize EGCs and H. pylori-associated gastritis with non-inferiority to Laser-WLI and Laser-LCI. Furthermore, even with LED, LCI was more effective than WLI for evaluating EGCs and H. pylori-associated gastritis. Therefore, LED endoscopy can be used to detect EGCs and evaluate H. pylori-associated gastritis accurately.