Argon plasma coagulation for superficial esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma in high-risk patients

Table 1 Patient and lesion characteristics

Gender (men/women)	15/2
Mean age (range), yr	68 (57-80)
Location Ce/Ut/Mt/Lt/Ae	0/0/14/7/0
Macroscopic type	0-IIc 21
Depth of invasion	T1a (m) 19
	T1b (sm) 2
Previous treatment	6 (35.3%) (EMR 3, ESD 1, and CRT 2)
Concomitant disease	13 (76.5%) (liver cirrhosis 5, heart disease 4, cerebral infarction 1, other 3)

EMR: Endoscopic mucosal resection; ESD: Endoscopic submucosal dissection; CRT: Chemoradiotherapy.

Table 2 Patients characteristics

No.	Age(yr)	Sex	Depth	Time (min)	Times	Hospitalization days	Interval until recurrence (mo)	Retreatment	Illness
1	66	M	m	14	1	11	-	-	After right lung resection, thrombophlebitis1
2	59	M	m	22	4	35	-	-	LC (HCV), esophageal varices
			m
3	68	M	m	26	4	68	7	APC	LC (alcoholic), IHD, remnant stomach
4	67	M	m1	30	1	12	-	-	OMI (three vessel stenosis)1
5	67	M	m	15	1	53	-	-	LC (HCV), HCC, esophageal varices, DM
6	79	M	m	10	1	13	-	-	Dementia
7	66	M	sm	34	2	47	-	-	LC (alcoholic), esophageal varices, DM
8	60	M	m	16	2	14	-	-	Arrhythmia, mitral regurgitation
9	74	M	m1	14	3	11	-	-	Cerebral infarction
10	66	M	m2	36	2	17	-	-	Post tongue cancer operation
11	71	M	m1	28	2	12	-	-	Multiple SESC
			m1
			m1
			m1
12	68	F	m1	15	1	0	-	-	Post colon cancer operation
13	76	M	m1	15	1	5	-	-	lesion of near after ESD scar
14	73	M	m1	15	1	0	-	-	Recurrence after EMR
15	70	M	m1	25	2	16	-	-	IHD1
16	57	M	sm1	12	4	12	3	APC	LC, recurrence after CRT
17	80	F	m2	15	2	14	-	-	Senior age, IHD, recurrence after CRT

¹Anticoagulant therapy; m: Mucosa; sm: Submucosa; m1: Epithelium; m2: Lamina propria mucosae; sm1: Superficial layer of submucosa; APC: Argon plasma coagulation; LC: Liver cirrhosis; IHD: Ischemic heart disease; OMI: Old myocardial infarction; HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; DM: Diabetes mellitus; SESC: Superficial esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma; ESD: Endoscopic submucosal dissection; EMR: Endoscopic mucosal resection; CRT: Chemoradiotherapy.

Table 3 Outcomes of endoscopic argon plasma coagulation treatment (n = 21)

Median duration of follow up (mo)	36 (6-120)
Median time required for treatment (min)	15 (10-36)
Median number of treatment sessions(times)	2 (1-4)
Median duration of hospitalization (d)	14 (5-68)
Complications
Postoperative bleeding	0
Perforation	0
Residual tumor and recurrence	2 (9.5%)