[Endoscopic mucosa resection for superficial esophageal carcinoma: an alternative to radical surgery?]

Radical surgery is the standard of care for resectable esophagus cancers, with mortality less than 5% in heavily trained surgical teams. Nevertheless, the morbidity of surgery is quite high due to the procedure and due to the poor status of these patients. Endoscopic mucosal resection seems effective for the resection of superficial malignant lesions of esophagus with an acceptable morbidity profile. A correct staging has to confirm the superficial character of the lesion and exclude deeper infiltration into the digestive wall or nodal involvement. This technique might be an acceptable alternative to surgery or superficial lesions, particularly for patients at high risk for aggressive surgical procedure.