Indications for endoscopic resection of colorectal polyps and surveillance guidelines

Endoscopic measurement of polyp size using a novel calibrated hood

Background. Although the size of colon polyps is an important risk factor for colorectal cancer, a standardized measurement technique has yet to be determined. In clinical practice, most endoscopists estimate polyp size by uncertain visual estimation; however, colonoscopic polypectomy is indicated for adenomatous polyps more than 5 mm in diameter. We have therefore developed a novel calibrated hood that enables accurate measurement of polyp size during colonoscopy. Method. We compared prepolypectomy estimates using the calibrated hood against measurements of preformalin-fixed samples immediately after polypectomy. Results. Sixty-five polyps removed from 44 patients were included in the present study. The mean size of polyps was significantly larger at prepolypectomy (6.06 ± 1.23 mm) than after polypectomy (5.48 ± 1.31 mm, P < 0.05). Conclusion. Accurately measuring the size of polyps during colonoscopy is important, since polyps are shrunk by polypectomy. Attaching the calibrated hood appears useful in the measurement of polyp size to determine indications for polypectomy in patients with colon polyps.

Endoscopic management of esophageal cancer after definitive chemoradiotherapy

BACKGROUND

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is a potentially curative non-surgical option for locally advanced esophageal cancer, with pathological complete response (CR) ranging from 13 to 49 %. The rate of persistent and recurrent disease within the esophagus remains high at 40-60 %, and treatment of these tumors may improve disease-free survival. The aim of this review is to assess the efficacy of salvage endoscopic therapies for recurrent esophageal cancer.

METHODS

Medline and Embase were searched for relevant studies published in the English-language literature that reported use of endoscopic modalities, including photodynamic therapy (PDT), endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), and spray cryotherapy, as salvage therapies for esophageal cancer.

RESULTS

A total of 12 studies were identified. In small case series of PDT, CR varied from 20 to 100 %, with 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates of 65-80, 34-47, and 36 %, respectively. Data from three studies of EMR in squamous cell cancer show CR in 50 % of cases, with 3- and 5-year overall survival of 56-81 and 49 %, respectively. Endoscopic spray cryotherapy has recently been used in this setting with an observed CR of 37.5 %.

CONCLUSIONS

Endoscopic salvage therapies are options for those patients with disease limited to the superficial esophageal wall and those who are unfit to undergo salvage esophagectomy. Widespread application of endoscopic salvage therapies is limited by the lack of awareness and guidelines for endoscopic surveillance post-CRT and limited data on the effectiveness of endoscopic therapies.