[Endoscopic treatment of early gastric cancer]

We assessed the results of endoscopic resection (ER) of early gastric cancer using electrocoagulation with high frequency current. Resection was performed utilizing endoscopic double-snare polypectomy (EDSP) and electrocoagulation. The initial endoscopic total resection rate was 65.0% (119/183 lesions). There were 32 lesions in which no residual cancer was present at follow-up biopsy or surgery, and when these were included the endoscopic resection cure rate was 82.5%. Extensive tissue necrosis and degeneration occurred in the resected stump as a result of using electrocoagulation. Since an increase in suitable patients and an expansion of the indications for endoscopic resection are anticipated in the future, careful clinical evaluation of endoscopic resection based on the results of pathological assessment of the resected tissue is needed.