[Endoscopic therapy of early gastric cancer by strip biopsy]

Strip biopsy is carried out in accordance with the principle of endoscopic injection and polypectomy. By using strip biopsy, the full thickness of the mucosa is removed, including the submucosal layer, largely without risk, even in cases of depressed or flat lesions. We have applied this procedure to the therapy of early gastric cancer. Its most valuable aspect is that the resected tissue is collected and the efficacy of the therapy can be evaluated from both macroscopic findings and histological sections. We have applied strip biopsy in 133 cases involving 137 lesions of 8 early gastric cancer, of which 65.0% were totally resected using only the strip biopsy technique. Other cases were treated surgically or subjected to additional endoscopic therapy. sixteen cases were confirmed to have been perfected resected by stomach surgery. Another 71 patients who were not candidates for surgery because of their physical condition have been followed endoscopically for 2 to 48 months, but there has not been any recurrence. On the basis of this study, we believe that the strip biopsy therapy of early gastric cancer should be evaluated in addition to surgical therapy, especially in cases of small lesions localized only in the mucosa.