Are Endoscopic Therapies Appropriate for Superficial Submucosal Esophageal Adenocarcinoma? An Analysis of Esophagectomy Specimens

Abstract

All depths of submucosal invasion of esophageal adenocarcinoma were associated with an unacceptably high prevalence of nodal metastases and a marked increase relative to intramucosal cancer. Accurate predictors of nodal spread, independent of tumor depth, are currently lacking and will be necessary before recommending endoscopic resection with or without concomitant ablation as curative treatment for even superficial submucosal neoplasia.