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Updated: Aug 14, 2026
Assessment of Plasma Coagulation on Liver Tissue in a Large Animal Model In Vivo
Published on: August 4, 2018
Argon plasma coagulation for early gastric cancer: technique and outcome
Tadashi Kitamura1, Satoshi Tanabe, Wasaburou Koizumi
1Department of Gastroenterology, Shizuoka Red Cross Hospital, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka, Japan.
Background:
Argon plasma coagulation (APC) is a noncontact technique for tissue coagulation. APC has been used to treat early gastric cancer in patients who cannot undergo EMR or open surgery, but a standard procedure for APC is lacking.
Objective:
Our objectives were to assess the clinical usefulness of APC in patients with early gastric cancer.
Design:
This was a small, retrospective pilot study.
Setting:
All patients were treated at the Department of Gastroenterology, Kitasato University East Hospital, Sagamihara, Japan.
Methods:
We studied 40 patients with early gastric cancer in whom both EMR and open surgery were contraindicated. The macroscopic tumor type was superficial elevated in 11 patients, superficial depressed in 27, and superficial elevated plus superficial depressed in two. The histologic classification was intestinal type in 37 patients and diffuse type in 3.
Intervention:
From January 1998 through March 1999, all patients received one session of APC. From April 1999 through August 2001, all patients received two sessions of APC. From September 2001 through March 2002, an additional session of APC was given only to patients who had large protruding lesions, depressed lesions 2 cm or greater in diameter, or submucosal invasion.
Main Outcome Measurements:
The main outcome measurements were residual tumor or recurrence of early gastric cancer.
Results:
Intestinal-type intramucosal carcinoma disappeared after one or two sessions of APC. Submucosal and diffuse-type tumors had a high risk of residual tumor cells because of inadequate treatment after one session of APC. However, such lesions were locally controlled by follow-up APC.
Limitations:
This was a small, retrospective pilot study. Confirmation of long-term outcome is required.
Conclusions:
Small early gastric carcinomas can be successfully treated by a single session of APC. Larger protruding-type lesions and submucosal tumors are likely to require two sessions of APC.
