Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR): results and prognostic factors in 21 patients

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic mucosectomy (EM), and to present our experience with the endoscopic removal of superficial tumors of the gastrointestinal tract.

A total of 21 patients were included in the study (16 men, 5 women), between September 1995 and May 1997. In 16 cases the site of the lesions was an esophageal carcinoma, in two cases a gastric carcinoma, and in three cases a sessile polyp of the duodenum with severe dysplasia. Surgery was not recommended for the patients with esophageal or gastric tumors (on account of cardiac disease, cirrhosis or poor health). All patients underwent an endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) examination. The lesions were classified as usT1N0 in 20 cases, and usT0N0 in one case, according to the pretreatment EUS findings. We used the technique of polypectomy after submucosal injection of 10-15 ml of saline serum.

Complications were encountered in 2/21 patients (9.5 %). Bleeding occurred in one case, but hemostasis was achieved endoscopically. In the other case, the patient presented with a thoracic pain and was treated by morphine injection. Endoscopic resection was considered to be complete in 19/21 patients (90.4%). In the other two cases, both involving esophageal tumors, histologic examination indicated only a partial tumor removal. However, these two patients had survived with negative EUS and endoscopic biopsy findings at 18 and 22 months later, respectively. None of the patients whose resections were considered complete presented with local recurrence, but three patients developed another superficial esophageal cancer, which was also treated by endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR). The mean follow-up was 20 months.

EMR is a safe and efficient treatment of early gastrointestinal tumors. The development of high-frequency EUS probes may further improve the results of this technique in the future.