Endoscopic evaluation of the depth of invasion of the depressed type early gastric cancer and apparently early advanced cancer in cases of a peptic ulcer within the cancer lesion.

Depressed-type early and apparently early advanced cancers were divided into two groups according to whether or not an associated peptic ulcer was present within the cancer lesion, and the accuracy of preoperative endoscopic diagnosis was reviewed. As a result it was found that evaluation of depth of invasion was more difficult in the ulcer [UL(+)] group than in the group without an ulcer [UL(-)]. In the UL(+) group it was difficult to identify endoscopic findings which indicate depth of invasion at the tip of the folds, the volume of cancer invasion of the deeper layers was small, and there many cases of invasion of deeper layers in a portion of the margins of the peptic ulcers.