• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.258-267
• /
• 2021

Purpose: As the rate of endoscopic resection for early gastric cancer (EGC) has increased in patients with comorbid diseases, it is necessary to elucidate the efficacy of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for EGC in patients with comorbidities. This study aimed to analyze the clinical outcomes of ESD for EGC in patients with comorbidities. Materials and Methods: A total of 969 patients with 1,015 lesions who underwent ESD for EGC at Seoul National University Hospital between 2010 and 2014 were analyzed. The short- and long-term clinical outcomes were evaluated according to the comorbidity status. Results: Comorbidities were observed in 558 patients (57.6%). The comorbidity group had a higher proportion of patients using antithrombotic agents (29.5% vs. 0.9%; P<0.0001). Although procedure-related complications (bleeding and perforation) were not significantly different between the two groups, the length of hospital stay was significantly longer (1.8 vs. 1.4 days, P=0.023), while survival was significantly shorter in the comorbidity group (5-year overall survival rate: 90.5% vs. 97.2%, P<0.0001; 5-year disease-specific survival rate: 97.9% vs. 100%, P=0.018; 5-year disease-free survival rate: 83.4% vs. 89.2%, P=0.007). Conclusions: Gastric ESD can be performed in patients with comorbidities without increasing the risk of complications.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.426-438
• /
• 2021

Purpose: While the incidence of Barrett's neoplasia has been increasing in Western countries, the disease remains rare in Asian countries. Therefore, very few studies have investigated the endoscopic treatment for Barrett's neoplasia in Korea. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) enables en bloc and complete resection of gastrointestinal neoplastic lesions. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic outcomes of ESD for Barrett's neoplasia in a single center in Korea and to examine the predictive factors for incomplete resection. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study of 18 patients who underwent ESD for superficial Barrett's neoplasia (dysplasia and early cancer) between January 2010 and December 2019 at Pusan National University Hospital. The therapeutic outcomes of ESD and procedure-related complications were analyzed. Results: En bloc resection, complete resection, and curative resection were performed in 94%, 72%, and 61% of patients, respectively. Histopathology (submucosal or deeper invasion of the tumor) was a significant predictive factor for incomplete resection (P=0.047). Procedure-related bleeding and stenosis were not observed, whereas perforation occurred in one case. During the median follow-up period of 12 months (range, 6-74 months), local recurrence occurred in 2 patients with incomplete resection, one patient underwent repeat ESD, and the other patient received concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The 3-year overall and disease-specific survival rates were 73% and 93%, respectively. Conclusions: ESD seems to be an effective and safe treatment for superficial Barrett's neoplasia in Korea. Nevertheless, the suitability of ESD for Barrett's cancer cases should be determined considering the high risk of deep submucosal invasion.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.47-55
• /
• 2022

Purpose: The use of direct oral Xa inhibitors (DXaIs) to prevent venothrombotic events is increasing. However, gastrointestinal bleeding, including that related to endoscopic resection, is a concern. In this study, we evaluated bleeding and coagulation times during the perioperative period of gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). Materials and Methods: Patients who consecutively underwent gastric ESD from August 2016 to December 2018 were analyzed. Bleeding rates were compared among the 3 groups (antiplatelet, DXaIs, and control). DXaI administration was discontinued on the day of the procedure. Prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time, and the ratio of inhibited thrombin generation (RITG), which was based on dilute PT, were determined before and after ESD. Results: During the study period, 265 gastric ESDs were performed in 239 patients, where 23 and 50 patients received DXaIs and antiplatelets, respectively. Delayed bleeding occurred in 17 patients (7.4%) and 21 lesions (7.1%). The bleeding rate in the DXaI group was significantly higher than that in the other groups (30.4%, P<0.01), and the adjusted odds ratio of bleeding was 5.7 (95% confidence interval, 1.4-23.7; P=0.016). In patients using DXaIs, there was a significant (P=0.046) difference in the median RITG between bleeding cases (18.6%) and non-bleeding cases (3.8%). Conclusions: A one-day cessation of DXaIs was related to a high incidence of bleeding after gastric ESD, and monitoring of residual coagulation activity at trough levels might enable the predicted risk of delayed bleeding in patients using DXaIs.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.24-34
• /
• 2022

Purpose: Total gastrectomy (TG) with lymph node (LN) dissection is recommended for early gastric cancer (EGC) but is not indicated for endoscopic resection (ER). We aimed to identify patients who could avoid TG by establishing a scoring system for predicting lymph node metastasis (LNM) in proximal EGCs. Materials and Methods: Between January 2003 and December 2017, a total of 1,025 proximal EGC patients who underwent TG with LN dissection were enrolled. Patients who met the absolute ER criteria based on pathological examination were excluded. The pathological risk factors for LNM were determined using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. A scoring system for predicting LNM was developed and applied to the validation group. Results: Of the 1,025 cases, 100 (9.8%) showed positive LNM. Multivariate analysis confirmed the following independent risk factors for LNM: tumor size >2 cm, submucosal invasion, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), and perineural invasion (PNI). A scoring system was created using the four aforementioned variables, and the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves in both the training (0.85) and validation (0.84) groups indicated excellent discrimination. The probability of LNM in mucosal cancers without LVI or PNI, regardless of size, was <2.9%. Conclusions: Our scoring system involving four variables can predict the probability of LNM in proximal EGC and might be helpful in determining additional treatment plans after ER, functioning as a good indicator of the adequacy of treatments other than TG in high surgical risk patients.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
• /
• v.39 no.4
• /
• pp.294-299
• /
• 2022

Background: Medical therapy is the standard treatment for uncomplicated acute type B aortic dissection (ATBAD), but there is little evidence of the need for intensive care unit (ICU) management. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effects of ICU treatment on uncomplicated ATBAD. Methods: We retrospectively studied patients with uncomplicated ATBAD who were medically treated between January 2010 and July 2020. Patients were divided into short-term ICU stay (SIS) and long-term ICU stay (LIS) groups, according to a 48-hour cutoff of ICU stay duration. The incidence of pneumonia and delirium, rate of aortic events, hospital mortality, and survival rate were compared. Results: Fifty-five patients were treated for uncomplicated ATBAD (n=29 for SIS and n=26 for LIS). The incidence of pneumonia (3.6% vs. 7.7%) and delirium (14.3% vs. 34.6%) was higher in the LIS group than in the SIS group, but the differences were not statistically significant. The survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were not different between the two groups (SIS: 96.4%, 92.2%, and 75.5% vs. LIS: 96.2%, 88.0%, and 54.2%, respectively; p=0.102). Multivariate Cox regression analysis for aortic events showed that using a calcium channel blocker lowered the risk of aortic events. Conclusion: Long-term ICU treatment is unlikely to be necessary for the treatment of uncomplicated ATBAD. Active use of antihypertensive agents, such as calcium channel blockers, may be needed during the follow-up period.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.339-347
• /
• 2022

Purpose: Lymphovascular invasion is a criterion for non-curative resection in patients who have undergone endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early gastric cancer (EGC). We aimed to determine the rate of extragastric metastasis (EGM) and identify the predictors of EGM in patients with negative resection margins (R0 resection) and lymphovascular invasion in post-ESD pathology. Materials and Methods: A total of 2,983 patients underwent ESD for EGC. Among them, 110 had a pathology of R0 resection and positive lymphovascular invasion. Patients underwent additional gastrectomy (n=63) or further follow-up without gastrectomy (n=47). Results: The 110 patients were assigned to one of the 3 groups according to ESD indications based on post-ESD pathology. The first group satisfied the absolute indication for ESD (n=18), the second group satisfied the expanded indications for ESD (n=34), and the last group satisfied the beyond indication (n=58). The number of occurrences of EGM in each group was 1 (5.6%), 3 (8.8%), and 3 (5.2%), respectively. The logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, tumor size, and indication for ESD, showed that larger tumor size was associated with EGM (odds ratio, 1.76; 95% confidence interval, 1.00-3.10; P=0.048). In contrast, ESD indication criteria did not affect EGM (P=0.349). Conclusions: Tumor size was the only predictive indicator for EGM in patients who underwent R0 resection and lymphovascular invasion on post-ESD pathology. Even patients with pathology corresponding to the absolute indication criteria of ESD had lymphovascular invasion, which means that they require additional gastrectomy due to the risk of EGM.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.451-461
• /
• 2023

Purpose: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is an effective treatment for early gastrointestinal neoplasms. However, this is a time-consuming procedure requiring various devices. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the ClearCut^TM Knife H-type, which is an integrated needle-tipped and insulated-tipped (IT) knife. Materials and Methods: Between July 2020 and September 2021, 99 patients with gastric epithelial neoplasms scheduled for ESD at three tertiary care hospitals were randomly assigned to H-knife (ClearCut^TM Knife H-type) or IT-knife (conventional IT knife) groups. Procedure times, therapeutic outcomes, and adverse events were analyzed. Results: A total of 98 patients (50 in the H-knife group and 48 in the IT-knife group) were analyzed. The median total procedure time was 11.9 minutes (range, 4.4-47.2 minutes) in the H-knife group and 12.7 minutes (range, 5.2-137.7 minutes) in the IT-knife group (P=0.209). Unlike the IT-knife group, which required additional devices in all cases, no additional devices were used in the H-knife group (P<0.001). En-bloc resection was performed for all lesions in both groups. The incidence of adverse events was not significantly different between groups (4.0% in the H-knife group vs. 8.3% in the IT-knife group; P=0.431). Conclusions: The newly developed hybrid device, the ClearCut^TM Knife H-type, had comparable efficacy to the conventional IT knife for gastric ESD.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.512-522
• /
• 2023

Purpose: Dental floss clip (DFC) traction-assisted endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is widely performed owing to its simplicity. This study aimed to clarify the appropriate indications for the DFC traction method in early gastric cancer when ESD is performed by less-experienced endoscopists. Methods and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 1,014 consecutive patients who had undergone gastric ESD performed by less-experienced endoscopists between January 2015 and December 2020. Gastric ESD was performed without DFC in all cases before December 2017 [DFC (-) group, 376 cases], and ESD was performed with DFC in all cases after January 2018 [DFC (+) group, 436 cases]. The procedure time and rates of en bloc resection, complete resection, and adverse events of the groups were compared. Results: The procedure time did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. However, when comparing lesions >20 mm, the procedure time in the DFC (+) group was significantly shorter than that in the DFC (-) group (95±46 vs. 75±31, P<0.01). The procedure time for lesions located in the greater curvature of the upper or middle stomach and lesions >20 mm located in the lesser curvature side of the stomach in the DFC (+) group was significantly shorter than that in the DFC (-) group. Conclusions: The indications for DFC during gastric ESD by less-experienced endoscopists include lesions located in the greater curvature of the upper or middle stomach, and lesions >20 mm located in the lesser curvature of the stomach.

• Clinical Endoscopy
• /
• v.56 no.1
• /
• pp.55-64
• /
• 2023

Background/Aims: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been established as a treatment modality for superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Long-term follow-up data are lacking in Western countries. The aim of this study was to analyze long-term survival in a Western center. Methods: Patients undergoing ESD for ESCC were included. The analysis was performed retrospectively using a prospectively collected database. Results: R0 resection rate was 96.7% (59/61 lesions in 58 patients). Twenty-seven patients (46.6%) fulfilled the curative resection criteria (M1/M2) (group A), 11 patients (19.0%) had M3 lesions without lymphovascular invasion (LVI) (group B), and 20 patients (34.5%) had lesions with submucosal invasion or LVI (group C). Additional treatment was recommended after non-curative resection. It was not performed in 20/31 patients (64.5%), mainly because of comorbidities (75%). Twenty-nine out of 58 (50.0%) patients died during a mean follow-up of 3.7 years. Death was related to ESCC in 17.2% (5/29) of patients. The disease-specific survival rate after curative resection was 100%. Overall survival rates after 5 years were 61.5%, 63.6% and 28.1% for groups A, B, and C, respectively. The overall survival was significantly worse after non-curative resection (p=0.038). Conclusions: Non-curative resection is frequent after ESD for ESCC in Western patients. The long-term prognosis is limited and mainly determined by comorbidity. Early diagnosis and pre-interventional assessments need to be improved.

• Clinical Endoscopy
• /
• v.56 no.4
• /
• pp.470-478
• /
• 2023

Background/Aims: Metachronous recurrence incidences and risk factors following endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for gastric adenocarcinoma and dysplasias were investigated. Methods: Retrospective review of electronic medical records of patients who underwent gastric ESD at The Catholic University of Korea, Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital. Results: A total of 190 subjects were enrolled for analysis during the study period. The mean age was 64.4 years and the male sex occupied 73.7%. The mean observation period following ESD was 3.45 years. The annual incidence rate of metachronous gastric neoplasms (MGN) was about 3.96%. The annual incidence rate was 5.36% for the low-grade dysplasia group, 6.47% for the high-grade dysplasia group, and 2.74% for the EGC group. MGN was more frequent in the dysplasia group than in the EGC group (p<0.05). For those with MGN development, the mean time interval from ESD to MGN was 4.1 (±1.8) years. By using the Kaplan-Meier model, the estimated mean MGN free survival time was 9.97 years (95% confidence interval, 8.53-11.40) The histological types of MGN were not related to the primary histology types. Conclusions: MGN following ESD developed in 3.96% annually and MGN was more frequent in the dysplasia group. The histological types of MGN did not correlate with those of primary neoplasm.