Shigetaka Yoshinaga

Complications of Gastric Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection

Endoscopic resection is now a widely accepted treatment for early gastric cancer, having a negligible risk of lymph‐node metastasis. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a relatively new endoscopic resection method developed in the mid‐1990s that facilitates en‐bloc resection even in patients with large or ulcerative lesions difficult to resect using conventional endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR). However, compared to EMR, ESD requires a longer procedure time and a higher level of technical expertise, in addition to having a slightly greater risk of complications. Endoscopists must be aware of not only the risk factors for, and incidence of, complications, but also how to effectively treat such complications. Perforation and bleeding are the major complications associated with gastric ESD. The perforation and delayed bleeding rates have been reported to range from 1.2% to 5.2% and 0% to 15.6%, respectively, and can usually be managed with appropriate endoscopic treatment. Immediate bleeding during gastric ESD is quite common and controlling such bleeding, which is primarily achieved by carrying out electrocautery, plays a critical role in the successful completion of ESD.

Short- and long-term outcomes of endoscopic submucosal dissection for undifferentiated early gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS Intramucosal undifferentiated early gastric cancer (EGC) up to 2 cm in size without ulceration has been treated by endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) because the incidence of lymph node metastasis is negligible. The aim of this retrospective study was to clarify the short-term and long-term outcomes of ESD carried out to treat undifferentiated EGC. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between January 1999 and September 2011, 113 patients with poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma or signet ring cell carcinoma on preoperative biopsy underwent ESD. In 16 patients differentiated EGC had been diagnosed after the ESD and these patients were excluded from the study. Short-term outcomes were evaluated in the remaining 97 patients with undifferentiated EGC, and long-term outcomes analyzed in the 79 patients with undifferentiated EGC who had undergone ESD between 1999 and 2008. RESULTS En bloc and R0 resection were achieved in 99.0 % and 90.7 % of patients, respectively. Median procedure time was 45 minutes. Postoperative bleeding, perforation during the procedure, and delayed perforation were noted in 4.1 %, 3.1 %, and 1.0 % respectively. Curative resection was achieved in 63.9 %. Additional surgery was performed in 21 of 35 patients in whom resection was noncurative: one (4.8 %) had local residual tumor and two (9.5 %) had lymph node metastases. Of the 46 /79 patients in the long-term outcome group who had curative resection, none had local recurrence or lymph node or distant metastasis during a median follow-up of 76.4 months. The 5-year overall mortality rate after curative resection was 7.0 %, and no patient died of gastric cancer. CONCLUSIONS ESD for undifferentiated EGC can achieve curative resection with an excellent 5-year mortality rate.

ROLE OF ENDOSCOPIC ULTRASOUND-GUIDED FINE NEEDLE ASPIRATION (EUS-FNA) FOR DIAGNOSIS OF SOLID PANCREATIC MASSES

Since it was developed in 1992, endoscopic ultrasound‐guided fine needle aspiration (EUS‐FNA) has been widely used and has been adapted for gastrointestinal and perigastrointestinal lesions. A medical literature review to evaluate the role of EUS‐FNA for diagnosis of solid pancreatic masses showed a 78–95% sensitivity, 75–100% specificity, 98–100% positive predictive value, 46–80% negative predictive value and a 78–95% accuracy. The reported complication rates of EUS‐FNA for pancreatic solid masses were 0–2%, although the criteria for complications varied among the studies. Because of its high diagnostic yield and low complication rate, EUS‐FNA is cost‐effective and widely applicable for the diagnosis of solid pancreatic masses, and is the best initial and the preferred secondary method compared with other biopsy techniques, such as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography‐guided biopsy, computed tomography/ultrasound‐FNA and surgery. Although EUS‐FNA is ‘a nearly perfected procedure,’ controversy remains, such as the most suitable diameter of the needle, the appropriate number of needle passes and the necessity of on‐site cytopathological evaluation. Recently investigators reported that using molecular analysis of EUS‐FNA samples can achieve a higher diagnostic efficacy. Further research is encouraged to optimize the EUS‐FNA procedure to reach its maximum diagnostic yield for solid pancreatic masses.

LEARNING CURVE FOR ENDOSCOPIC SUBMUCOSAL DISSECTION OF EARLY GASTRIC CANCER BASED ON TRAINEE EXPERIENCE

Background and Aim:  There have been few previous reports on endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) learning curve for early gastric cancer (EGC) so we retrospectively assessed this subject based on experience of our trainees.

Clinical outcome of endoscopic resection for nonampullary duodenal tumors

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS Compared with any other location in the gastrointestinal tract, the duodenum presents the most challenging site for endoscopic resection. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical outcomes of duodenal endoscopic resection and to assess the feasibility of the technique as a therapeutic procedure. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 113 consecutive patients with 121 nonampullary duodenal tumors underwent endoscopic resection by endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), or polypectomy between January 2000 and September 2013. Long-term outcomes were investigated in patients with more than 1 year follow-up. RESULTS The median tumor size was 12 mm (range 3 - 50 mm). Lesions consisted of 63 adenocarcinomas/high-grade intraepithelial neoplasias (53 %) and 57 adenomas/low-grade intraepithelial neoplasias (48 %). Endoscopic resection included 106 EMRs (87 %), 8 ESDs (7 %), and 7 polypectomies (6 %). En bloc resection was achieved in 77 lesions (64 %), and 43 lesions (35 %) underwent piecemeal resection; one procedure was discontinued due to perforation. There were 14 cases of delayed bleeding after EMR (12 %), 1 perforation (1 %) during ESD, and 1 delayed perforation (1 %) after ESD, which required emergency surgery. Of the 76 patients who were followed for more than 1 year, none of the patients died from a primary duodenal neoplasm, and there were no local recurrences during the 51-month median follow-up period (range 12 - 163 months). CONCLUSIONS Duodenal endoscopic resection was feasible as a therapeutic procedure, but it should only be performed by highly skilled endoscopists because of its technical difficulty. Piecemeal resection by EMR is acceptable for small lesions, based on these excellent long-term outcomes.

Differential diagnosis of cystic tumors of the pancreas by endoscopic ultrasonography.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS Generally, cystic tumors are divided into two categories: neoplastic cystic tumors and non-neoplastic cystic (NNC) tumors. Neoplastic cystic tumors include mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN), intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasm (IPMN), and serous cystic neoplasm (SCN). MCNs and IPMNs have the potential to progress to a malignant state, whereas SCNs are known for their almost benign behavior. Thus, in order to make management decisions, it is important to distinguish between potentially malignant (MCN and IPMN), and benign (SCN and NNC) tumors. The aim of this study was to retrospectively investigate the value of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) for the differential diagnosis of cystic tumors of the pancreas. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 76 patients with cystic tumors of the pancreas were preoperatively examined by EUS. Eight cases were MCNs, 45 were IPMNs, 13 were SCNs, and 10 were NNC tumors. The EUS findings relevant to distinguishing between potentially malignant and benign were analyzed statistically. RESULTS All patients with MCNs were female and all these tumors were located in the pancreatic body/tail. IPMN, however, occurred predominantly in men, and in the pancreatic head. Eight of 11 monolocular cystic tumors were NNC in nature. Eleven of 13 SCNs included microcystic areas within the tumors. All MCNs were round in appearance, whereas 93 % of IPMNs were not round in appearance. Mural nodules were present in 25 % of MCN and 38 % of IPMN cases. In univariate analysis, age, tumor size, locularity, the number of cystic formation, cystic component, and appearance were significant variables. In multivariate analysis, locularity and cystic component were important for differential diagnosis of potentially malignant cystic tumors. CONCLUSIONS The characteristics of cystic tumors of the pancreas revealed by EUS are useful for their differential diagnosis.

Long-term outcome of endoscopic resection of superficial adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIM Endoscopic resection has been favored for the management of intramucosal adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEGJ) over standard treatment with surgical resection. Several previous studies have reported only short-term outcomes. The aim of the present study was to report the long-term follow-up and outcomes of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), a representative endoscopic resection method, for the management of superficial AEGJ. PATIENTS AND METHODS A retrospective cohort study included 53 consecutive patients with superficial AEGJ who underwent ESD between 2001 and 2007 at the National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. Rates of overall survival, recurrence-free survival, and cause-specific survival of patients with AEGJ after endoscopic resection were analyzed. RESULTS The 5-year overall, recurrence-free, and cause-specific survival rates in the 53 patients were 94.2%, 92.3% and 96.1%, respectively. The median follow-up was 6.1 years. En bloc, R0, and curative resection rates were 100 %, 79 %, 68 %, respectively. In 36 patients with curative resection, the cause-specific survival rate was 100 % and no recurrence or metastases were detected. In 17 patients with non-curative resection, recurrence was found in three patients (17 %); two of the three patients died of their disease whilst one patient received chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS Superficial AEGJ can be well controlled by ESD when curative resection is achieved.

Impact of double-balloon endoscopy on the diagnosis of jejunoileal involvement in primary intestinal follicular lymphomas: a case series.

In recent years, primary gastrointestinal follicular lymphoma has been increasingly detected in the duodenum on esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). Primary gastrointestinal follicular lymphomas are frequently distributed to multiple sites in the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, investigation into the spread of follicular lymphomas in the small bowel is important in order to determine the most appropriate treatment strategy. The performance of double-balloon endoscopy (DBE) in the diagnosis of jejunoileal follicular lymphoma lesions has not been fully evaluated. We aimed to investigate the value of DBE in addition to computed tomography (CT) and (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ((18)F-FDG-PET) in the diagnosis of jejunoileal follicular lymphoma. DBE with biopsy was performed in seven patients with primary duodenal follicular lymphoma diagnosed by EGD, in order to investigate jejunoileal involvement. Jejunoileal follicular lymphoma lesions were detected by DBE in six out of the seven patients (three in the jejunum and three in the jejunum and ileum), whereas CT and (18)F-FDG-PET failed to detect the existence of these lesions. Endoscopic findings of the jejunoileal lesions revealed multiple white nodules and white villi, which were similar to those of duodenal lesions. DBE was more useful for the diagnosis of jejunoileal involvement in primary intestinal follicular lymphoma than CT and (18)F-FDG-PET. The use of DBE will become important for determining the most appropriate treatment for gastrointestinal follicular lymphoma.

Long-term surveillance and treatment outcomes of metachronous gastric cancer occurring after curative endoscopic submucosal dissection.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS As more early gastric cancer (EGC) patients are being treated with endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), it is important to understand the outcomes of patients who develop metachronous gastric cancer (MGC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term surveillance and treatment outcomes of MGC after curative gastric ESD. PATIENTS AND METHODS The study included 1526 consecutive patients who underwent curative ESD resection of EGC. They were generally followed by annual or biannual esophagogastroduodenoscopy. The risk factors and treatment outcomes for MGC were assessed along with the 5-year, 7-year, and 10-year cumulative incidence functions of MGC and disease-specific survival (DSS). RESULTS During a median follow-up period of 82.2 months, 238 patients developed MGC post-ESD resection of EGC. The 5-year, 7-year, and 10-year cumulative incidence functions of MGC were 9.5%, 13.1% and 22.7%, respectively. Male sex and multiple initial EGCs were independent risk factors for MGC in the Cox proportional hazard model. Of the 238 patients with MGC, 215 were treated with endoscopic resection, of which 183 achieved curative resection, although one patient later died of his initial EGC. A further 14 patients were treated surgically, three had metastatic disease and received palliative chemotherapy, and the remaining six were observed without any intervention. A total of seven patients died of MGC, five at least 5 years after their index ESD. The 5-year, 7-year, and 10-year DSSs were 99.2%, 98.6%, and 92.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The incidence of MGC increases with time after curative gastric ESD, therefore surveillance endoscopy should be continued indefinitely.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection for early gastric cancer in the remnant stomach after gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early gastric cancer (EGC) after surgical gastrectomy is a technically difficult procedure because of the limited working space in the remnant stomach as well as the presence of severe gastric fibrosis and staples under the suture line. OBJECTIVE We evaluated clinical results including long-term outcomes to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of ESD for EGC in the remnant stomach of patients after gastrectomy. DESIGN Retrospective study. SETTING National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. PATIENTS We investigated patients undergoing ESD for EGC in the remnant stomach from 1997 to 2011. INTERVENTION ESD MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS We examined the patient characteristics, endoscopic findings, technical results, adverse events, and histopathologic results including curability and evaluations of Helicobacter pylori gastritis in addition to the rates of local recurrence, metachronous gastric cancer, overall survival, and cause-specific survival. RESULTS A total of 128 consecutive patients with 139 lesions had previously undergone 87 distal (68%), 25 proximal (19.5%) and 16 pylorus-preserving gastrectomies (12.5%). The median period from the original gastrectomy to the subsequent ESD for EGC in the remnant stomach was 5.7 years (range 0.6-51 years), the median tumor size was 13 mm (range 1-60 mm), and the median procedure time was 60 minutes (range 15-310 minutes). There were 131 en bloc resections (94%), with curative resections achieved for 109 lesions (78%); 22 lesions (16%) resulted in non-curative resections, and 8 lesions (6%) had only a horizontal margin positive or had inconclusive results. A total of 118 patients (92%) were assessed as H pylori gastritis-positive, with 7 patients (5%) negative. Adverse events included 2 cases of delayed bleeding (1.4%) and 2 perforations (1.4%), with 1 patient requiring emergency surgery. The 5-year overall and cause-specific survival rates were 87.3% and 100%, respectively, during a median follow-up period of 4.5 years (range 0-13.7 years), with no deaths from EGC in the remnant stomach. LIMITATIONS Single-center, retrospective study. CONCLUSION ESD for EGC in the remnant stomach of patients after gastrectomy was a feasible and effective therapeutic method and should become the standard treatment in such cases, based on the favorable long-term outcomes.