Follow-up problems of laser irradiation as a local treatment for gastric cancer

Abstract

Between 1980 and 1993, laser irradiation was performed in 117 cases of early gastric cancer, in cases in which surgical treatment was difficult. The follow-up periods after irradiation were relatively short (mean, 20.5 months) because many of the patients were aged, and because many patients had some concurrent disease. When 79 cases (excluding cases followed for only very short periods) were evaluated, the cancer-free rate was low for the following groups: (1) those patients in whom tumour size was over 40 mm; and (2) in those where the ‘sm’ tumours were invading the submucosal layer. Six patients developed tumour recurrence after laser therapy. In all six of these cases, recurrence was detected within 1 year after the end of therapy.

Key Words:

• laser therapy
• endoscopic treatment
• early gastric cancer
• long-term results