Abstract
Since 1983, in Suwa Central Hospital, endoscopic laser [Nd-YAG] therapy (ELT) has been used on nineteen patients with gastric cancer (7 cases with advanced cancer, 3 cases with recurrence after operation for advanced cancer and 9 cases with early cancer) . Results of treatment of the seven advanced cases were : Minor improvement of the lesion was found in marcoscopic investigations in 3/7 cases, stenosis was reopened in 3/7 cases, and there were hemostatic effects against bleeding in one case of advanced cancer. We failed to evaluate lifespan prolongation of the above seven cases after ELT. Stenotic lesion was reopened in only one of three postoperative recurrent gastric cancer cases by this therapy. ELT was applied to nine patients with gastric cancer. There was complete remission (CR) in five cases, partial remisson (PR) in one case, minor remission (MR) in one case, and no change (NC) in two cases. The five CR cases included two early cancers with IIa+ IIc, two with IIc, and one with Ha. All of these five cases have survived after ELT to the present time. It is considered that not only elevated lesion, but also depressed lesion should be treated by ELT in early gastric cancer.
