Background and study aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and outcomes of treatment by endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) of patients with high-grade dysplasia (HGD) or carcinoma.
Patients and methods: Between January 1995 and January 2002, 50 patients (35 men, 15 women) were treated by EMR for 52 sessile polyps. The median size of the polyps was 27.5 mm (range 10-60). The "lift and cut" EMR technique was used. If the lesion was poorly differentiated or infiltrated the muscularis mucosae to more than 1000 microm, the patient was referred for colectomy. In the other cases, follow-up was proposed.
Results: Complications occurred in 9.6 % of cases and were always treated conservatively. The rate of endoscopically complete resection was judged to be 98.1 %. Argon plasma coagulation was applied to the margins of the lesion in 21.6 % of cases. Histological examination showed 38 HGDs and 14 carcinomas. Seven patients had a lesion reaching the deep or lateral margin; four were referred for surgery; two patients for whom surgery would have been high risk were followed up, and both developed local recurrence; and one patient was followed up, without recurrence, because infiltration was less than 1000 microm. A total of 43 patients were followed up after complete excision. Two patients died during follow-up; neither death could be reliably attributed to colorectal carcinoma. Seven patients were lost during the follow-up. For 34 patients, information from a mean follow-up of 17.3 months (6 - 57) was available and recurrence was observed in five cases (15 %).
Conclusions: EMR appears to be a safe and efficient treatment of HGD and early colorectal cancer. However, correct analysis of submucosal infiltration is essential to assess the completeness of the resection.