Magnetic-anchor-guided endoscopic submucosal dissection shows promise for gastric cancer
A prospective clinical trial from researchers in Japan shows magnetic-anchor-guided endoscopic submucosal dissection for large early gastric cancer to be a feasible and safe method in humans. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is useful in the en bloc removal (in a single large piece) of large gastric lesions because it reduces the risk of a local recurrence caused by removing the lesions piecemeal (in multiple small pieces). ESD is a complicated procedure that requires a high level of skill by the endoscopist. The magnetic-anchor-guided endoscopic submucosal dissection (MAG-ESD) technique was developed to facilitate the standard ESD procedure. The researchers note that to their knowledge, this is the first clinical trial to use MAG-ESD for early gastric cancer in humans. The study appears in the January issue of GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE).