Treatment Strategy after Endoscopic Resection of Superficial Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Single Institution Experience

BACKGROUND/AIMS The aim of this study was to analyze and propose a treatment strategy after endoscopic resection of superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in a single institution. METHODS This is a retrospective review of 37 patients who were treated by endoscopic resection during a 6-year period. RESULTS The mean tumor size was 11.5±5.5 mm (range, 3 to 31 mm). Thirty-one lesions (83.8%) were treated by endoscopic submucosal dissection, and six lesions were treated by endoscopic mucosal resection (16.2%). The en bloc resection rate and complete resection rate were 91.9% and 81.8%, respectively. The tumor invasion depth was diagnosed as epithelial in five cases (13.5%), lamina propria mucosa in 12 cases (32.4%), muscularis mucosa in 10 cases (27.0%) and submucosa in 10 cases (27.0%). The complication rate was 13.5% and included three cases (8.1%) of perforation. Ten patients who had muscularis mucosa and submucosa lesions received additional treatments, including six patients who were treated with esophagectomy, three patients who were treated with radiotherapy and one patient who was treated with chemoradiotherapy. One patient with lamina propria lesions received radiotherapy due to a positive resection margin. The median follow-up duration was 22 months (range, 4 to 79 months), and no recurrence or metastasis was noted during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Tailored management after endoscopic treatment of superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma can offer an acceptable oncologic outcome in early esophageal carcinoma.