Long-term Results of Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD) for the Treatment of Early Gastric Cancer (EGC) in a High-volume Latin American Center

Background: Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of death by cancer worldwide. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a technique that allows en bloc resection of early lesions of the digestive tract. It has curative potential in selected patients and benefits over gastrectomy for the treatment of early gastric cancer (EGC). The aim of this study is to present the results of ESD for EGC in a high-volume center in Chile. Materials and Methods: Retrospective descriptive study of patients who underwent ESD for EGC at the Doctor Sótero del Río Hospital. Results: A total of 100 ESDs were performed in 96 patients between 2008 and 2020. Fifty-five percent were female patients, the average age was 68 years (range, 45 to 89 y). En bloc resection was achieved in 98% of cases and the rate of complications Clavien grade III or higher was 8.3%. There were no cases of perioperative mortality. Ninety-three percent of the dissections were classified as R0 and 83% met curative standards according to expanded criteria. The mean follow-up was 42 months (range, 1 to 144 mo). Overall survival was 97%. Cancer-specific survival was 100% and recurrence-free survival was 97%. Conclusions: The present study describes the largest series of ESD for the treatment of EGC reported in Latin America. Our results support the feasibility of implementing ESD in Chile and indicate good oncological outcomes comparable to those reported in the large Asian series published to date.