TREATMENT AND EFFECT FOR GASTRIC CARCINOMA BY LASER ENDOSCOPY

Abstract

We have treated carcinoma of the stomach by endoscopical photocoagulation using MBB Medilas YAG laser, Aroka YML-801 YAG laser and Spectra Physics model 770 Argon laser since December '80, and investigated the effects of laser therapy for the carcinoma. Twentyseven lesions in 22 cases of gastric carcinoma were endoscorically photocoagulated. After the first irradiation, 8 of 27 lesions were observed to have residual cancer cells. Cancer cells disappeared in 3 out of the 8 lesions after the second irradiation. In 2 of the rest 5 cases, failure in treatment was caused by technical problems, and 2 cases were advanced cancer like early gastric cancers, and the treatment was discontinued in the other because of the patient's poor condition. Two problems were raised. The one is mechanical and technical problem, and the other is that the effects of laser therapy for advanced cancer and a large lesion is insufficient. So we are trying improvement of the instruments, the measurement of laser effects by endoscopic ultrasonotomogram and the application of phototoxic reaction for the treatment of advanced cancer. It is concluded that laser phtocoagulation for early gastric cancer is effective to cure the lesion and it will become one of the useful treatment for inoperable gastric cancer by resolving some problems.