Endoscopic resection of early esophageal and gastric neoplasias.

The advent of endoscopic resection (ER) techniques has enabled gastroenterologists to remove premalignant or neoplastic lesions throughout the gastrointestinal tract. This review discusses the indications and the several techniques of ER in early carcinomas of the esophagus and stomach. Before ER is performed an accurate evaluation of patients and careful staging of lesions is mandatory. After ER of the neoplasia histological assessment of the entire specimen with detailed histological analysis of layer infiltration is crucial. First long-term follow-up studies of large numbers of patients confirm the excellent effectiveness of ER for well-differentiated mucosal lesions without lymphangitic invasions. 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel