Early gastric cancer: An update on endoscopic management

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The review focuses on the latest endoscopic techniques that are emerging in the management of early gastric cancer. RECENT FINDINGS: Improved sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of early gastric cancers has been demonstrated in a number of studies by narrow band imaging (92.7 and 94.5%), confocal laser endomicroscopy (90.2 and 98.5%), and magnification chromoendoscopy (88.6 and 93.2%), respectively. In early gastric cancer, endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been shown to be superior to endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) with curative resection rate at 79.5% for ESD vs. 59% for EMR, and a lower local recurrence rate at 0.82% for ESD vs. 5.03% for EMR. SUMMARY: Advanced diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic techniques are changing the paradigm of care in patients with early gastric cancers.