[Endoscopic Therapy for Esophageal Cancer].

Endoscopic treatment for esophageal neoplasms includes endoscopic resection, argon plasma coagulation(APC), photodynamic therapy( PDT) and stent placement. Endoscopic resection is widely used as an effective, less invasive treatment for superficial esophageal carcinoma in Japan. APC is considered to be safe and effective treatment for superficial esophageal carcinoma which cannot be resected endoscopically because of severe comorbidities, as well as for local recurrence after endoscopic resection or chemoradiotherapy. PDT is thought to be an effective option as salvage treatment for local failure after chemoradiotherapy. Stent placement mainly using self-expanding metallic stents have been used as a minimally invasive and effective modality for the palliative treatment of malignant esophageal obstruction. Endoscopic treatment is expected to have more important role in the treatment of esophageal neoplasms in the future.