Indications For Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection Research Articles

S1554 An Audit of Indications for Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection for Colorectal Lesions in North America: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

S1554 An Audit of Indications for Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection for Colorectal Lesions in North America: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Latest guideline of endoscopic submucosal dissection of early gastric cancer may not be suitable for Chinese patients: retrospective study findings from two centers

BackgroundTo analyze the diagnostic efficiency of the four absolute endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) indications for lymph node metastasis (LNM) of Chinese patients with early gastric cancer (EGC).MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed EGC patients who underwent radical D2 gastrectomy from January 2019 to December 2022. We evaluated the rate of LNM, false-negative rate, and negative predictive value of the four ESD indications.ResultsOf enrolled 2722 EGC patients, 388 (14.3%) patients presented LNM. Tumor size > 2 cm, ulceration, submucosal invasion, undifferentiated type, and lymphovascular invasion were independent risk factors of LNM in patients with EGC. 1062 (39%) cases of EGC conformed to the four EDS indications; however, 4% of them had LNM. 451 cases were fully in accord with the fourth ESD indication (undifferentiated intramucosal carcinoma without ulceration and a maximum lesion diameter of ≤ 2 cm), and 35 of them had LNM, with a false-negative rate (FNR) of 9.02% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 92.24%. There was significant difference among the four indications in terms of the rate of LNM (1.0% vs 1.5% vs 1.3% vs 7.8%, P < 0.001), FNR (1.03% vs 0.52% vs 0.26% vs 9.02%, P < 0.001), and NPV (98.99% vs 98.53% vs 98.75% vs 92.24%, P < 0.001).ConclusionOverall, the fourth ESD indication was associated with a high rate of LNM compared to the other three indications. Thus, it might not be safe to classify it as an absolute indication in Chinese patients with EGC.

323. LONG-TERM SURVIVAL OUTCOME OF PATIENTS WITH EARLY ESOPHAGEAL CANCER AFTER ESD (ENDOSCOPIC SUBMUCOSAL DISSECTION) AND ESOPHAGECTOMY

Abstract Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been gradually accepted as an effective treatment option for patients with early esophageal cancer. However, its long-term outcome is limited in literature. Method This study compare the overall survival for the patients with early esophageal cancer (T1N0M0) treated with ESD and esophagectomy. The tumor staging was confirmed with EUS, PET and CT imaging. The indication of ESD was T1aN0M0 in clinical staging studies. Three-field lymph node dissection with intrathoracic (Ivor Lewis) or cervical esophagogastrostomy (McKeown) was performed for the patients undergoing esophagectomy under thoracoscopic (minimally invasive esophagectomy) laparoscopic approaches. Result There were 82 patients enrolled in the study including 22 and 60 undergoing esophagectomy and ESD respectively. There is no difference of overall survival in 3 and 5 years with 89.1 % and 81.8 % for patients after ESD, 78.1 % and 78.1 % after esophagectomy (P=0.6) Conclusion For early esophageal cancer with T1aN0M0, ESD can provide an equivalent long-term survival outcome as compared to that with esophagectomy with three-field lymph node dissection.

Endoscopic resection and laparoscopic lymph node dissection for early gastric cancer beyond conventional endoscopic treatment indications: a 10-year outcome study.

Endoscopic full-thickness gastric resection (EFTGR) with laparoscopic regional lymph node dissection (LLND) and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) with LLND have been investigated as treatment options for early gastric cancer beyond the absolute indications for ESD. However, comparative studies on the long-term outcomes of these procedures are lacking. This study aimed to analyze and compare the 10-year outcomes of both procedures in a real clinical setting. Between January 2009 and December 2013, 28 and 37 patients diagnosed with EGC beyond the absolute indications for ESD were treated with EFTGR with LLND and ESD with LLND, respectively. In both procedures, the dye was injected into the tumor. However, after injection and LLND, EFTGR was performed immediately in the EFTGR with LLND group, whereas LLND was followed by ESD in the ESD with LLND group. The primary endpoint was the 10-year survival rate. The EFTGR with LLND group had one case of local recurrence (3.6%) and mortality (3.6%) each, while the ESD with LLND group had none (0.0% for both); however, the differences were not statistically significant (P = 0.247 for each). Furthermore, there was no significant difference in complications such as ischemia and anastomosis leakage between the groups (P = 0.247). When the procedures were properly applied, EFTGR with LLND and ESD with LLND did not increase the 10-year mortality in patients with EGC beyond the absolute ESD indications compared with conventional radical gastrectomy.

Endoscopic Features of Undifferentiated-Type Early Gastric Cancer in Patients with Helicobacter pylori-Uninfected or -Eradicated Stomachs: A Comprehensive Review.

Since the indications for endoscopic submucosal dissection have been expanded to include undifferentiated-type early gastric cancers, improvements in preoperative diagnostic ability have been an area of research. There are also concerns about the impact on the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection. Based on our previous studies, in undifferentiated-type early gastric cancers, magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging is useful for delineating the demarcation regardless of the tumor size. Additionally, inflammatory cell infiltration appears to be a cause of misdiagnosis, suggesting that the resolution of inflammation could contribute to the accurate diagnosis of demarcations. As such, the accuracy of demarcation in eradicated and uninfected cases is higher than that in non-eradicated cases. The common features of the endoscopic findings were discoloration under white-light imaging and a predominance of sites in the lower and middle regions. The uninfected group was characterized by smaller tumor size, flat type, more extended intervening parts in magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging, and pure signet ring cell carcinoma. In contrast, the eradication and non-eradication groups were characterized by larger tumor size, depressed type, and wavy microvessels in magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging. In this comprehensive review, as described above, we discuss the diagnosis of demarcation of undifferentiated-type early gastric cancers, undifferentiated-type early gastric cancers that developed following H. pylori eradication, and H. pylori-uninfected undifferentiated-type early gastric cancers, with a focus on studies with self-examination and endoscopic findings and describe the future direction.

Endoscopic Features of Undifferentiated-Type Early Gastric Cancer in Patients with Helicobacter pylori-Uninfected or -Eradicated Stomachs: A Comprehensive Review.

Since the indications for endoscopic submucosal dissection have been expanded to include undifferentiated-type early gastric cancers, improvements in preoperative diagnostic ability have been an area of research. There are also concerns about the impact on the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection. Based on our previous studies, in undifferentiated-type early gastric cancers, magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging is useful for delineating the demarcation regardless of the tumor size. Additionally, inflammatory cell infiltration appears to be a cause of misdiagnosis, suggesting that the resolution of inflammation could contribute to the accurate diagnosis of demarcations. As such, the accuracy of demarcation in eradicated and uninfected cases is higher than that in non-eradicated cases. The common features of the endoscopic findings were discoloration under white-light imaging and a predominance of sites in the lower and middle regions. The uninfected group was characterized by smaller tumor size, flat type, more extended intervening parts in magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging, and pure signet ring cell carcinoma. In contrast, the eradication and non-eradication groups were characterized by larger tumor size, depressed type, and wavy microvessels in magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging. In this comprehensive review, as described above, we discuss the diagnosis of demarcation of undifferentiated-type early gastric cancers, undifferentiated-type early gastric cancers that developed following H. pylori eradication, and H. pylori-uninfected undifferentiated-type early gastric cancers, with a focus on studies with self-examination and endoscopic findings and describe the future direction.

Feasibility study fulfilling expanded endoscopic resection criteria in mucosal undifferentiated gastric cancer.

The indication of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for mucosal undifferentiated early gastric cancer (EGC) remains controversial because of risk of lymph node metastasis (LNM). The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for lymph node metastasis (LNM) in mucosal undifferentiated EGC, and further to confirm feasibility of the ESD for the treatment of mucosal undifferentiated EGC. We retrospectively reviewed data of patients who underwent surgical resection with lymph node dissection of T1a stage primary gastric adenocarcinoma at three medical centers between 2012 and 2022. We evaluated the frequency of lymph node metastasis and the associated risk factors, as well as the lymph node metastasis rate in the expanded indication of mucosal undifferentiated EGC. A total of 100 surgically treated patients with mucosal undifferentiated EGC were enrolled. LNM was irrelevant to the age, tumor size, location, and macroscopic type (all P>0.05), while it was significantly associated with lymphovascular invasion (LVI, P ＜0.001). And logistic regression analysis showed that the LVI was the only significant risk factors for LNM (OR: 0.34, 95%CI: 0.06-0.204; P ＜0.001). Of 44 mucosal undifferentiated EGC patients satisfying the expanded indication of ESD, 3 patients (6.8%) showed LN metastasis, all of them with undifferentiated cancer without ulceration, less than 2.0cm in size. Because LNM is present in mucosal undifferentiated EGC patients who satisfied the expanded indication of ESD, ESD cannot be considered a better choice than surgery for all undifferentiated EGC patients. LVI was significant risk factors for LNM in patients with mucosal undifferentiated EGC.

Performance of endoscopic submucosal dissection for undifferentiated early gastric cancer: a multicenter retrospective cohort.

Background and study aims Undifferentiated early gastric cancer (UD-EGC) represents an extended indication for endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) based on the existing guidelines. This study evaluated the prevalence of UD-EGC recurrence after ESD, and potentially implicated risk factors. Patients and methods Data from 17 centers were collected retrospectively including demographics, endoscopic and pathological findings, and follow-up data from UD-EGC cases treated by ESD. Patients with incomplete resection or advanced disease were excluded. Descriptive statistics quantified variables and calculated the incidence of recurrence. Chi-square test was applied to assess any link between independent variables and relapse; significantly associated variables were inserted to a multivariable regression model. Results Seventy-one patients were eligible, with 2:1 female to male ratio and age of 65.8 ± 11.8 years. Mean lesion size was 33.5 ± 18.8 mm and the most frequent histological subtype was signet ring-cells UGC (2:1). Patients were followed-up every 5.6 ± 3.7 months with a mean surveillance period of 29.3 ± 15.3 months until data collection. Four patients (5.6%) developed local recurrence 8.8 ± 6.5 months post-ESD, with no lymph node or distal metastases been reported. Lesion size was not associated with recurrence ( P = 0.32), in contrast to lymphovascular and perineural invasion which were independently associated with local recurrence ( P = 0.006 and P < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions ESD could be considered as the initial step to manage UD-EGC, providing at least an "entire-lesion" biopsy to guide therapeutic strategy. When histology confirms absence of lymphovascular and perineural invasion, this modality could be therapeutic, providing low recurrence rates.

The differences in biological behavior and gene expression characteristics between pure and mixed early gastric signet ring cell carcinomas.

The biological behavior of signet ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) in early gastric cancer (EGC) is not well understood. We aimed to investigate the clinicopathologic and prognostic differences, and explore differences in the gene expression characteristics between pure early SRCC and mixed early SRCC. We retrospectively analyzed 1707 EGC patients. We also conducted a meta-analysis to compare biological behavior in pure SRCC and mixed SRCC. We explored gene expression levels of N6-methyadenosine (m6A) regulators in pure SRCC and mixed SRCC. Compared with pure SRCC, mixed SRCC was associated with an increased risk of submucosal invasion, perineural invasion, LVI and LNM. LNM was more common in mixed SRCC than with pure SRCC who met the indications for endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) (16.67%vs 2.78%). There was no difference in the overall survival between pure SRCC and mixed SRCC in EGCs (P=0.10). Expression of m6A regulators WTAP, FTO and VIRMA was significantly higher in mixed SRCC than that in pure SRCC (P<0.05). Mixed SRCC displayed more aggressive biological behavior than pure SRCC in EGC. WTAP, FTO and VIRMA were expressed at significantly different levels in the two types of EGC, and may have important roles in the observed differences in biological behavior.

Risk of lymph node metastasis and feasibility of endoscopic submucosal dissection in undifferentiated-type early gastric cancer

BackgroundWhether endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) applies to undifferentiated-type early gastric cancer (UEGC) remains controversial. We aimed to analyze the risk factors for lymph node metastasis (LNM) in UEGC and evaluate the feasibility of ESD.MethodsThis study included 346 patients with UEGC who underwent curative gastrectomy between January 2014 and December 2021. Univariate and multivariate analyses of the correlation between clinicopathological features and LNM were conducted, and the risk factors for exceeding the expanded ESD indications were evaluated.ResultsThe overall LNM rate in UEGC was 19.94%. Among the preoperatively assessable factors, submucosal invasion (odds ratio [OR] = 4.77, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.14–10.66) and > 2 cm(OR = 2.49, 95% CI: 1.20–5.15) were independent risk factors for LNM, while postoperative independent risk factors were > 2 cm (OR = 3.35, 95% CI: 1.02–5.40) and lymphovascular invasion(OR = 13.21, 95% CI: 5.18–33.70). Patients who met the expanded indications had a low LNM risk (4.1%). Additionally, tumors located in the cardia (P = 0.03), non-elevated type (P < 0.01) were independent risk factors for exceeding the expanded indications in UEGC.ConclusionsESD may be applicable for UEGC meeting the expanded indications, and preoperative evaluation should be cautious when the lesion is non-elevated type or located in the cardia.Trial registrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry (12/05/2022 ChiCTR2200059841).

Colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection: a review on patient selection and indications.

The development of 'third-space'-endoscopy has paved the way towards en-bloc resection of early gastrointestinal neoplasia. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has improved the endoscopic management of colorectal lesions by facilitating R0-resection, improving histological assessment and preventing recurrence. The purpose of this review is to provide an evidence-based overview of indications for which ESD should be considered within colorectal endoscopy. The development of ESD has partially bridged the gap between endoscopy and surgery, but depends heavily on adequate pre-resection visual evaluation, ruling out potential deep submucosal invasion. ESD should be considered for large colorectal polyps (≥20mm) and/or lesions diagnosed as harbouring high-grade dysplasia, in-situ carcinoma or superficial submucosal invasion. Not only has it found its way into our guidelines for the treatment of neuroendocrine neoplasms, ESD also seems a promising alternative for the controlled resection of large pedunculated lesions. ESD can also be applied in more challenging situations, such as in pre-treated lesions, post-surgical context and in patients with IBD, although this requires a high level of skill and expertise. In this review we have described the different indications for ESD and attempted to define its place within our current endoscopic armamentarium. For both non-expert and expert endoscopists, knowledge about ESD indications, patient selection and therapeutic alternatives, remains crucial in the care for patients with colorectal neoplasia.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection in early gastric cancer with papillary histological type.

412 Background: Gastric papillary adenocarcinoma has been regarded as differentiated-type adenocarcinomas along with well- or moderately-differentiated tubular adenocarcinomas in current endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) indication. We aimed to investigate lymph node metastasis (LNM) and to verify the safety of ESD in patients with papillary early gastric carcinoma (P-EGC). Methods: 4,264 patients with early gastric cancer (EGC) underwent curative gastrectomy between October 2000 and December 2017 at National Cancer Center, Korea. Among them, 45 patients were pathologically confirmed with P-EGC. We compared clinicopathological factors among differentiated-type EGC except P-EGC (n=2,106), undifferentiated-type EGC (n=2,113), and P-EGC. Logistic regression model was used to investigate risk factors of LNM. Results: P-EGCs were frequently located in lower third of the stomach (71.1%, P &lt; 0.001), and about half of them (46.7%, P &lt; 0.001) had elevated morphology. Mucosal cancer of P-EGC (37.9%) was significantly lower than differentiated-type (48.8%) and undifferentiated-type EGC (22.2%, P &lt; 0.001). Angiolymphatic invasion and LNM occurred most frequently in P-EGC (46.9% and 20.0%, respectively) compared to differentiated-type (18.9% and 9.2%, respectively) and undifferentiated-type EGCs (10.9% and 11.7%, respectively; P &lt; 0.001 and P = 0.004, respectively). P-EGC that was not mixed with other pathological type tended to have increased risk of LNM referent to differentiated EGC. (Odd ratio [OR] 2.53, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.99-6.50). Among 45 patients with P-EGC, 13 patients met the current ESD indication; 3 patients corresponded to absolute indication and 10 patients did expanded indication. One patient had LNM and met expanded criteria with submucosal invasion less than 500 μm. In multivariate analysis, OR for LNM meeting expanded indication of P-EGC was 40.67 (95% CI, 2.54-702.76) referent to that of absolute indication compared to LNM meeting expanded indication of non-papillary EGC (10.28, 95% CI, 1.37-77.04). Conclusions: When ESD was applied to P-EGC, it should be carefully performed because of high rate of submucosal invasion and high risk of LNM even in with submucosal invasion less than 500 μm.

P143 Outcomes of ulcerative colitis-associated dysplasia patients treated with endoscopic submucosal dissection: An extended analysis of a single center cohort

Abstract Background Total proctocolectomy has been recommended for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC)-associated dysplasia due to the risk of its progression to colorectal cancer or metachronous recurrence. Recently, endoscopic resection has been considered as a therapeutic option for dysplasia in UC, and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been recommended for lesions where endoscopic mucosal resection is unsuitable. We aimed to investigate the long-term outcomes of UC patients who underwent ESD for dysplasia or early colorectal cancer Methods We retrospectively reviewed 47 patients with UC-associated dysplasia/cancer referred for potential ESD to treat non-polypoid or sessile dysplasia between August 2009 and August 2022 at Asan Medical Center, a tertiary hospital in Seoul. Indications for ESD were determined according to the criteria applied for sporadic colorectal neoplasms based on magnifying endoscopy. Results The median age at UC diagnosis was 45 years, and 24 patients (51%) were male. The median duration of UC was 13 years. Colectomy was recommended for 11 patients, and the remaining 36 patients underwent ESD. The en bloc resection rate was 88.9% (32/36), and the histologic complete resection rate was 77.8% (28/36). Five patients underwent colectomy after ESD due to missed adenocarcinoma, deep submucosal cancer, and multiple dysplasia. A total of 31 patients were followed-up after ESD. Their mean (standard deviation) follow-up period was 45.9 (±30.6) months, and the mean number of post-ESD surveillance endoscopies was 3 (±2). Local recurrence of dysplasia occurred in 3 (3/31, 9.6%) patients; metachronous recurrence occurred in 7 patients (7/31, 22.6%). There were no cases of metachronous colorectal cancer. Conclusion ESD for discrete dysplastic lesions in UC patients is feasible and shows favorable outcomes in terms of colorectal cancer prevention. However, surveillance colonoscopy with short intervals is warranted due to the high metachronous recurrence rate.

Multi-institutional questionnaire on treatment strategies for superficial entire circumferential esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Recent innovations in prophylactic treatment with steroids have overcome the issue of esophageal stricture after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), except in entire circumferential esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (EC-ESCC). Current Japanese guidelines weakly recommend performing ESD for clinical epithelial/lamina propria EC-ESCC with a longitudinal extension <50 mm upon implementing prophylactic treatment against stricture. However, the accurate indications for ESD in EC-ESCC remain unknown, and strategies differ among institutions. The aim of this study was to understand the initial treatment strategy for EC-ESCC and prophylactic treatment after ESD against esophageal stricture. A questionnaire survey was conducted across 16 Japanese high-volume centers on the initial treatment for EC-ESCC according to the invasion depth and longitudinal extension, and prophylactic treatment against stricture. ESD was performed as the initial treatment not only in clinical epithelial/lamina propria lesions <50 mm (88-94% of institutions), but also in clinical epithelial/lamina propria ≥50 mm (44-50% of institutions) and clinical muscularis mucosae/SM1 (submucosal invasion depth invasion within 200 μm) lesions <50 mm (56-75% of institutions). Regarding prophylactic treatment against esophageal stricture, although there was a common point of local steroid injection, the details and administration of other treatments varied among institutions. As ESD was performed with expanded indications for EC-ESCC than those recommended by the guidelines in more than half of the institutions, the validity of ESD for expanded EC-ESCC needs to be clarified. For that, it is necessary to prospectively collect short- and long-term outcomes after ESD and other treatments, including esophagectomy or chemoradiotherapy.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection for papillary early gastric carcinoma: Insights from a large-scale analysis of post-gastrectomy pathology specimens.

Gastric papillary adenocarcinoma is considered a differentiated adenocarcinoma in the current endoscopic submucosal dissection indication guidelines. However, the safety of endoscopic submucosal dissection remains controversial. Currently, data regarding which papillary early gastric cancer should be considered for endoscopic submucosal dissection are unavailable. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate lymph node metastasis and the safety of endoscopic submucosal dissection in patients with papillary early gastric cancer. This observational study recruited 4264 consecutive patients with early gastric cancer who underwent curative gastrectomy between October 2000 and December 2017 at the National Cancer Center, Korea. Of these, 45 had pathologically confirmed papillary early gastric cancer, 2106 had differentiated non-papillary early gastric cancer, and 2113 had undifferentiated early gastric cancer. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for lymph node metastasis. Mucosal tumors were less common in papillary early gastric cancer (37.9%) than in differentiated non-papillary early gastric cancer (48.8%) and undifferentiated early gastric cancer (60.4%) (both P < .001). Lymph node metastasis was more common in papillary early gastric cancer (20.0%) than in differentiated non-papillary early gastric cancer (9.2%) and undifferentiated early gastric cancer (11.7%; both P < .001). In multivariate analysis, non-mixed-type papillary early gastric cancer showed marginally increased odds of lymph node metastasis than differentiated early gastric cancer (odds ratio [OR]: 2.5, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.0-6.3). Rates of lymph node metastasis (1/10, 10%) and angiolymphatic invasion (2/10, 20%) for papillary early gastric cancer meeting expanded criteria were higher than those for other histology types meeting endoscopic submucosal dissection absolute or expanded criteria (P = .03 and P < .001, respectively). Endoscopic submucosal dissection should be considered carefully for papillary early gastric cancer, especially if it meets expanded endoscopic submucosal dissection indications since it is associated with high rates of submucosal invasion and lymph node metastasis.

Factors associated with non-lifting of colorectal mucosal lesions

Background Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is an effective treatment for colorectal tumors. However, lesions that cannot be lifted after submucosal injection are not indication for ESD. This is because the procedure is difficult, and the lesions are often considered as tumor invasion or submucosal fibrosis. The aims of this study are to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ESD for non-lifting lesions and to analyze the causes of non-lifting phenomenon. Methods This retrospective study included 29 patients with non-lifting colon lesions resected by ESD from February 2018 to September 2021. Cases were observed for demographics, endoscopic findings, treatment outcomes, adverse events and endoscopic follow-up. We studied the pathological features of lesions to explore the reasons for non-lifting. Results Among 29 cases of non-lifting lesions, 20 lesions (69.0%) were 30 mm in diameter or larger. Most of lesions (96.6%) were non-lifting in center, and only one lesions (3.4%) had non-lifting of one side. The en bloc and curative resection rates of ESD were 100 and 86.2%, respectively. There was one (3.4%) delayed bleeding, no perforations and other complications. No tumor recurrence occurred during the follow-up period. For pathological features, 16 (55.2%) non-lifting lesions had submucosal fibrosis and only 4 cases (13.8%) had deep submucosal invasion. There were 9 cases (31.0%) of non-lifting lesions due to musculo-fibrous of muscularis propria anomaly (MMPA). Conclusion MMPA is another reason for non-lifting signs besides invasive carcinomas and submucosal fibrosis. ESD should be considered in patients with large non-lifting adenoma instead of surgery.

Clinicopathological features of Epstein-Barr virus-associated superficial early stage gastric cancer treated with endoscopic submucosal dissection.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is known to be involved in gastric carcinogenesis. EBV-associated early gastric carcinoma (EBVEGC) has a lower incidence of lymph node involvement and could be an expanded indication for endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) treatment. To clarify the prevalence and clinicopathological features of EBVEGC. This study reviewed 618 lesions in 519 patients treated with ESD between 2014 and 2016. Tissue microarray sections were subjected to in situ hybridization staining for EBV-encoded small RNA transcripts (EBER). Lesions positive for EBER were compared with control lesions and were retrospectively analyzed. 12 (1.9%) of the 618 lesions were EBVEGC. EBVEGCs were more frequently located near the atrophic border than control lesions in the middle or upper stomach and were reddish. EBVEGC invasion was deeper and more often histologically undifferentiated. On narrow-band imaging magnifying endoscopy, the EBVEGC group significantly more often showed an endoscopic lace pattern, defined as an absent or obscure microsurface pattern and a microvascular pattern of a tiny, dense, and irregular subepithelial capillary network. The rate of curative resection was significantly lower in the EBVEGC group. Only 1.9% of the ESD specimens were EBV-positive. Endoscopic features could raise clinical suspicion of EBV infection.

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

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. 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. 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 ≤ 10mm (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 ≤ 10mm located in distal two-third of the stomach without ulceration were deemed as eCuraA/B. 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 ≤ 10mm located in the lower/middle stomach without ulceration.

Reevaluation of the expanded indications in undifferentiated early gastric cancer for endoscopic submucosal dissection.

BACKGROUNDAlthough the criteria for the indication of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for undifferentiated early gastric cancer (UD-EGC) have been recently proposed, accumulating reports on the non-negligible rate of lymph node metastasis (LNM) after indicated ESD raise questions on the reliability of the current criteria. AIMTo investigate the prevalence and risk factors of LNM in UD-EGC cases meeting the expanded indication for ESD.METHODSWe retrospectively reviewed 4780 UD-EGC cases that underwent surgical resection between January 2008 and February 2019 at Asan Medical Center, a tertiary university hospital in Korea. To identify the risk factors of LNM of UD-EGC meeting the expanded criteria for ESD, we performed a case-control study by matching the cases with LNM to those without at a ratio of 1:4. We reviewed the clinical, endoscopic, and histologic features of the cases to identify features with a significant difference according to the presence of LNM. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate the odds ratios (ORs).RESULTSOf the 4780 UD-EGC cases, 1240 (25.9%) were identified to meet the expanded indication for ESD. Of the 1240 cases, 14 (1.1%) cases had LNM. Among the various clinical, endoscopic, and histopathological features that were evaluated, mixed histology (tumors consisting of 10%-90% of signet ring cells) had a marginally significant association (P = 0.059) with the risk of LNM. Moreover, diffuse blurring of the muscularis mucosae (MM) underneath the tumorous epithelium, a previously unrecognized histologic feature, had a significant association with the absence of LNM (P = 0.028). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the blurring of MM was the only explanatory variable significantly associated with a reduced risk of LNM (OR: 0.12, 95%CI: 0.02-0.95; P = 0.045).CONCLUSIONThe risk of LNM is higher than expected when using the current expanded indication for UD-EGC. Histological evaluation could provide useful clues for reducing the risk of LNM.

Endoscopic resection of superficial bowel neoplasia: The unmet needs in the Egyptian practice.

BACKGROUNDManagement of superficial bowel neoplasia (SBN) in early stages is associated with better outcomes. The last few decades experienced a paradigm shift in the management of SBN with the introduction of advanced endoscopic resection techniques (ERTs). However, there are no clear data about the aspects of ERTs in Egypt despite the growing gastroenterology practice.AIMTo investigate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of ERTs toward management of SBN among Egyptian practitioners and the suitability of the endoscopy units’ infrastructures toward these techniques.METHODSAn online 2-pages questionnaire was used. The first page comprised demographic data, and questions for all physicians, about the knowledge (11 questions) of and attitude (5 questions) toward ERTs as a therapeutic option for SBN. The second page investigated the practice of ERTs by endoscopists (6 questions) and the infrastructures of their endoscopy units (14 questions). The survey was disseminated through July 2021 and the data were collected in an excel sheet and later analyzed anonymously.RESULTSThe complete responses were 833/2300 (36.2%). The majority of the participants were males (n = 560, 67.2%), middle-aged (n = 366, 43.9%), consultants (n = 464, 55.7%), gastroenterologists (n = 678, 81.4%), spending ≥ 15 years in practice (n = 368, 44.2%), and were working in university hospitals (n = 569, 68.3%). The majority correctly identified the definition of SBN (88.4%) and the terms polypectomy, endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) (92.1%, 90.2%, and 89.1% respectively). However, 26.9%, 43.2% and 49.5% did not recognize the clear indication of polypectomy, EMR, and ESD respectively. Although 68.1% of physicians are convinced about the ERTs for management of SBN; only 8.9% referred all candidate cases for ERTs. About 76.5% of endoscopists had formal training in the basic polypectomy techniques while formal training for EMR and ESD was encountered only in 31.9% and 7.2% respectively. About 71.6% and 88.4% of endoscopists did not perform EMR or ESD in the last one year. Consequently, the complication rate reported by endoscopists was limited to 18.1% (n = 103) of endoscopists. Only 25.8% of endoscopists feel confident in the management of ERTs-related complications and a half (49.9%) were not sure about their competency. Regarding the endoscopy units’ infrastructures, only 4.2% of the centers had their endoscopes 100% armed with optical enhancements and 54.4% considered their institutions ready for managing ERTs-related complications. Only 18.3% (n = 104) of endoscopists treated their complicated cases surgically because the most frequent ERTs-related complications were procedural bleeding (26.7%), and perforations (17%).CONCLUSIONA significant deficiency was reported in the knowledge and attitude of Egyptian practitioners caring for patients with SBN toward ERTs. The lack of trained endoscopists in both EMR and ESD in part is due to unsuitable infrastructures of many endoscopy units.