Endoscopic Treatment of Early Gastric Cancer

Successful radical endoscopic treatment of early gastric cancer has recently progressed using chiefly the high frequency electric current method and the laser method. The forms of treatment can be classified into mucosal resection and non mucosal resection. The high frequency electric current method is a typical method for mucosal resection and makes it possible to confirm by pathology the complete curability of the excised and collected lesion, but it has limits in terms of the size of the lesion. Of the high frequency electric current method, there are two chief methods used which are endoscopic polypectomy and strip biopsy or ERHSE. Laser endoscopy is a typical method for non mucosal resection, however it cannot remove the lesion and therefore needs a follow‐up study including biopsy after the treatment, it can treat however much larger lesions than the mucosal resection method. Laser endoscopy includes the three main methods of vaporization, photodynamic therapy and laserthermia. Indications for radical treatment of early gastric cancer by endoscopy should be limited to lesions without lymph node metastasis. Radical endoscopic treatment for early gastric cancer has recently become the treatment of choice for lesions, even in patients without surgical risk, because of the decreased quality of life which may follow after surgery. The ratio of radical endoscopic treatment to surgery for early gastric cancer has been increasing yearly. Recent advances in the area are reviewed, here.