Treatment of esophageal and gastric tumors.

Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) has gained increasing popularity in the treatment of esophageal and gastric mucosal cancers in Japan, for complete local resection of the cancer-bearing mucosa. In Western countries, the concept of mucosal cancer and the necessity of treating it are gradually but steadily coming to be accepted. As a treatment for inoperable cases of advanced cancer, on the other hand, intubation with self-expanding metal stents has been widely accepted as a less invasive form of palliation for malignant obstruction of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Tumor ingrowth into the stent can be mechanically avoided by adding a membrane coating to it. In the last two years, applications for therapeutic endoscopy in the treatment of esophageal and gastric tumors have continued to widen.