High en bloc resection rate achieved by endoscopic mucosal resection with IT knife for early gastric cancer.

Background/aims: Circumferential endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) around lesions performed by an insulation-tipped diathermic knife (IT knife) increases en bloc resection rates, suggesting the possibility of expanding indications for EMR.

Methodology: Clinical outcome of EMR performed by IT knife under general anesthesia was evaluated for 26 patients with 29 early gastric cancer.

Results: Successful en bloc resection rates obtained by the IT knife were 100, 87.

Detection of sentinel lymph nodes in gastric cancers based on immunohistochemical analysis of micrometastases.

Background And Objectives: The sentinel lymph node (SN) theory has the potential to change the trend of surgery for gastric cancer that is based on wide resection of the stomach with dissection of regional lymph nodes. However, feasibility tests of SN mapping procedures in gastric cancers with analysis of micrometastasis are rare. This study aimed to estimate the clinical usefulness of SN mapping using a dual procedure with dye- and gamma probe-guided techniques for gastric cancers, based on immunohistochemical staining (IHC) analysis.

Sentinel lymph node mapping for gastric cancer using a dual procedure with dye- and gamma probe-guided techniques.

Background: Increasing evidence supports the sentinel lymph node (SN) concept for melanoma and breast cancers. SN biopsy may replace routine lymph node dissection in the treatment of these cancers. But there are little data evaluating this concept in patients with gastric cancer.