The utility of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in endoscopic mucosal resection of early gastric cancer

The utility of EUS was evaluated in 27 patients with early gastric cancer undergoing endoscopic mucosal resection over the past 2 years. Accuracy of the assessment of depth of cancerous invasion was studied in 16 patients undergoing EUS before endoscopic mucosal resection. Patients showing no changes in the submucosal (sm) layer or below on EUS included 15 with mucosal (m) cancer and one with sm cancer showing very slight infiltration. Seven patients with m cancer, a negative stump, and no ulcer in the cancer focus at endoscopic mucosal resection, were followed up for more than 1 year after endoscopic mucosal resection. On EUS, four patients showed Ul-IIs changes resembling benign ulcers, two showed Ul-IIIs changes and two showed no changes in the sm layer or below. All patients were negative for cancer in follow up biopsies. No lymphadenopathy was observed. EUS was effective in diagnosing the depth of cancerous invasion in patients undergoing endoscopic mucosal resection and also in clarifying changes in the sm and deeper layers during follow up.