Suitability of the expanded indication criteria for the treatment of early gastric cancer by endoscopic submucosal dissection: Japanese multicenter large-scale retrospective analysis of short- and long-term outcomes

AbstractObjective. The criteria for endoscopic resection for early gastric cancer include absolute and expanded indications. Consensus already exists for the absolute indications. However, the suitability of the expanded indications must be validated by long-term outcome analyses since such lesions have only recently become resectable with the development of endoscopic submucosal dissection. The aim of this study is to clarify the suitability of the expanded indications for the treatment of early gastric cancer with endoscopic submucosal dissection. Materials and methods. The medical records of 1161 patients with early gastric cancers (1332 lesions) treated by endoscopic submucosal dissection and meeting the criteria for absolute or expanded indications without additional treatment with gastrectomy were divided into absolute indication group or expanded indication group. Results. Complete resection rates were 96.4% and 93.4% in absolute and expanded indication groups, respectively, with no significant dif...