Clinical outcome after endoscopic mucosal resection for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma invading the muscularis mucosae - a multicenter retrospective cohort study

Background and study aims: Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is now commonly indicated for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) within the lamina propria mucosa. However, EMR for ESCC that has invaded the muscularis mucosa is controversial because the risk of lymph node metastasis is not negligible. We conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study to investigate the incidence of lymph node metastasis and survival after EMR for ESCC invading the muscularis mucosa.

Patients and methods: A total of 104 patients with 111 lesions invading the muscularis mucosa, were retrospectively studied at eight institutes. No patients exhibited evidence of metastasis of lymph nodes or distant organs prior to EMR. Overall and cause-specific survival rates were calculated from the date of EMR to the date of death or the most recent follow-up visit. Survival curves were plotted according to the Kaplan-Meier method.

Results: In total, 86 patients (82.7 %) who did not receive further treatment such as chemotherapy, irradiation therapy, chemoradiotherapy, or esophagectomy after EMR were followed up. Only two patients (1.9 %) developed lymph node metastasis after EMR. With a median follow-up period of 43 months (range, 8 - 134 months), overall and cause-specific survival rates at 5 years after EMR were 79.5 % and 95.0 %, respectively.

Conclusions: EMR for ESCC that invades the muscularis mucosa has curative potential as a minimally invasive treatment option.

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