Clinical safety of endoscopic submucosal dissection compared with surgery in elderly patients with early gastric cancer: A propensity-matched analysis

Background: Little is known about the clinical and oncologic outcomes of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) compared with surgery in elderly patients with early gastric cancer (EGC). Objective: To evaluate the clinical and oncologic outcomes of ESD compared with surgery in elderly patients with EGC of an expanded indication. Design: Retrospective study with propensity-matched analysis. Setting: University-affiliated tertiary-care hospital, Seoul, South Korea. Patients: A total of 518 patients 70 years of age or older with initial-onset EGC. Interventions: ESD and surgery. Main Outcome Measurements: Clinical outcomes, disease-free survival, and overall survival. Results: In a propensity-matched analysis of 132 pairs, the length of hospital stay of the ESD group was shorter than that of the surgery group (median [interquartile range], 4 [3-4] vs 9 [7-11] days; P< .001). Intensive care unit admission occurred in the surgery group only (7 patients [5.3%]). Two surgery-related deaths occurred in the surgery group (1 splenic artery bleeding and 1 anastomosis site leakage). During follow-up, metachronous lesions developed more often in the ESD group than in the surgery group (12 vs 2 lesions, P=.004). All recurred lesions were successfully treated endoscopically except for 3 patients who refused additional treatment. Overall survival did not differ between the 2 groups (P = .280). Limitations: Nonrandomized, retrospective study. Conclusions: ESD is a safe procedure in elderly patients with EGC. Although the risk of metachronous lesions is higher in patients who undergo ESD than in those who undergo surgery, overall survival did not differ between the patients who undergo ESD and surgery.