Endoscopic diagnosis of mucosal cancer.

Now that minimally invasive treatment is performed more widely, it is important that more cases indicated for such treatment are diagnosed, i.e., microcancers that can be treated endoscopically should be accurately diagnosed. Since the diameter of early gastric cancer indicated for endoscopic treatment is generally less than 2.0 cm, detection of these microcancers is crucial and improvement in the endoscopic diagnosis is needed. We discuss the method for measuring lesion size, the procedure of dye scattering endoscopy, and the types of dyes used in this examination. In addition, we describe a method for increasing the diagnostic accuracy in the color of the vasoconstriction by the spraying of a drug that acts directly on the capillaries in the gastric mucosa. These basic aspects of endoscopic diagnosis of early gastric cancer will significantly assist gastroenterologists. We hope that these skills will be mastered and that endoscopic diagnosis, built on a firm foundation, will become even more widespread. Copyright 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.