Endoscopic Ablation Therapy for Gastrointestinal Superficial Neoplasia

AIM: In Japan, endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) have been widely accepted and standardized for the treatment of gastrointestinal superficial neoplasia. METHODS: In contrast, mucosal ablation techniques are more common in Western countries and a variety of endoscopic ablation modalities, including argon plasma coagulation (APC), photodynamic therapy (PDT) and lasers, are used. RESULTS: Recently developed modalities such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and cryotherapy are also available for the treatment of superficial lesions such as dysplasia of Barrett's esophagus. CONCLUSION: Although we should understand that the completeness of destruction of neoplastic tissue can only be judged at follow up, endoscopic ablation is a viable alternative to endoscopic resection for dysplasia and early-stage malignancies, especially for poor candidates of surgery or endoscopic resection.