Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection for Superficial Proximal Esophageal Neoplasia is Highly Successful

The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for superficial proximal esophageal neoplasia.

The surgery for a tumor located in proximal esophagus is relatively difficult and leads to a high morbidity and mortality. ESD is a minimally invasive endoscopic treatment of superficial neoplasia of the gastrointestinal tract allowing en block resection with low recurrence rates; however, ESD for superficial proximal esophageal neoplasia is little known.

We retrospectively analyzed 102 consecutive patients who fit the inclusion criteria with 106 lesions who underwent ESD from February 2009 to July 2015 at the Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University in Shanghai, China. During the study, the en bloc and pathologically complete resection rates, complication rate, incidence of esophageal stricture after ESD, disease-specific, and overall survival rates were evaluated.

The mean age was 62 (45-84) years with 100% en bloc resection rate. The mean operation time was 48 (10-144) minutes. The mean diameter of the resected tumors was 2.9 (1.2-6.5) cm. The pathological diagnoses were high-grade intraepithelial dysplasia in 45 (42.5%) lesions, and the rest were squamous cell carcinoma with staging of intraepithelial in 18 (17.0%), lamina propria in 13 (12.3%), muscularis mucosa in 16 (15.1%), SM1 in 10 (9.4%), and SM2 or deeper in 4 (3.8%) of the lesions. The R0 resection rates were 94.3% (100/106). There was no delayed bleeding. Two small perforations observed were closed successfully with clips. Symptomatic esophageal strictures in 17 (16.7%) patients were treated by endoscopic balloon dilation with a mean of 4 (1-14) times and 88.2% (15/17) success. Additional treatments of esophagectomy or chemoradiotherapy were recommended to patients with SM1 or deeper neoplasia or incomplete resection. Local recurrence was observed in 3 (2.9%) cases. Fifteen patients were lost to follow-up. Five-year overall survival rate was 98% and disease-specific survival rate was 100%. The mean follow-up time was 33.6 months.

ESD for the superficial proximal esophageal neoplasia is a safe and a very effective treatment method with a 100% 5-year disease-specific survival rate.