Main Recommendations
1
ESGE recommends endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) as the best tool to characterize subepithelial lesion (SEL) features (size, location, originating layer, echogenicity, shape), ...but EUS alone is not able to distinguish among all types of SEL.
Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence.
2
ESGE suggests providing tissue diagnosis for all SELs with features suggestive of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) if they are of size > 20 mm, or have high risk stigmata, or require surgical resection or oncological treatment.
Weak recommendation, very low quality evidence.
3
ESGE recommends EUS-guided fine-needle biopsy (EUS-FNB) or mucosal incision-assisted biopsy (MIAB) equally for tissue diagnosis of SELs ≥ 20 mm in size.
Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence.
4
ESGE recommends against surveillance of asymptomatic gastrointestinal (GI) tract leiomyomas, lipomas, heterotopic pancreas, granular cell tumors, schwannomas, and glomus tumors, if the diagnosis is clear.
Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence.
5
ESGE suggests surveillance of asymptomatic esophageal and gastric SELs without definite diagnosis, with esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) at 3–6 months, and then at 2–3-year intervals for lesions < 10 mm in size, and at 1–2-year intervals for lesions 10–20 mm in size. For asymptomatic SELs > 20 mm in size that are not resected, ESGE suggests surveillance with EGD plus EUS at 6 months and then at 6–12-month intervals.
Weak recommendation, very low quality evidence.
6
ESGE recommends endoscopic resection for type 1 gastric neuroendocrine neoplasms (g-NENs) if they grow larger than 10 mm. The choice of resection technique should depend on size, depth of invasion, and location in the stomach.
Strong recommendation, low quality evidence.
7
ESGE suggests considering removal of histologically proven gastric GISTs smaller than 20 mm as an alternative to surveillance. The decision to resect should be discussed in a multidisciplinary meeting. The choice of technique should depend on size, location, and local expertise.
Weak recommendation, very low quality evidence.
8
ESGE suggests that, to avoid unnecessary follow-up, endoscopic resection is an option for gastric SELs smaller than 20 mm and of unknown histology after failure of attempts to obtain diagnosis.
Weak recommendation, very low quality evidence.
9
ESGE recommends basing the surveillance strategy on the type and completeness of resection. After curative resection of benign SELs no follow-up is advised, except for type 1 gastric NEN for which surveillance at 1–2 years is advised.
Strong recommendation, low quality evidence.
10
For lower or upper GI NEN with a positive or indeterminate margin at resection, ESGE recommends repeating endoscopy at 3–6 months and another attempt at endoscopic resection in the case of residual disease.
Strong recommendation, low quality evidence.
The benefit of rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) on the diagnostic accuracy of endoscopic ultrasound–guided fine-needle biopsy (EUS-FNB) has never been evaluated in a randomized study. This trial aimed ...to test the hypothesis that in solid pancreatic lesions (SPLs), diagnostic accuracy of EUS-FNB without ROSE was not inferior to that of EUS-FNB with ROSE.
A noninferiority study (noninferiority margin, 5%) was conducted at 14 centers in 8 countries. Patients with SPLs requiring tissue sampling were randomly assigned (1:1) to undergo EUS-FNB with or without ROSE using new-generation FNB needles. The touch-imprint cytology technique was used to perform ROSE. The primary endpoint was diagnostic accuracy, and secondary endpoints were safety, tissue core procurement, specimen quality, and sampling procedural time.
Eight hundred patients were randomized over an 18-month period, and 771 were analyzed (385 with ROSE and 386 without). Comparable diagnostic accuracies were obtained in both arms (96.4% with ROSE and 97.4% without ROSE, P = .396). Noninferiority of EUS-FNB without ROSE was confirmed with an absolute risk difference of 1.0% (1-sided 90% confidence interval, –1.1% to 3.1%; noninferiority P < .001). Safety and sample quality of histologic specimens were similar in both groups. A significantly higher tissue core rate was obtained by EUS-FNB without ROSE (70.7% vs. 78.0%, P = .021), with a significantly shorter mean sampling procedural time (17.9 ± 8.8 vs 11.7 ± 6.0 minutes, P < .0001).
EUS-FNB demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy in evaluating SPLs independently on execution of ROSE. When new-generation FNB needles are used, ROSE should not be routinely recommended. (ClinicalTrial.gov number NCT03322592.)
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Main Recommendations
1
ESGE recommends against diagnostic/therapeutic papillectomy when adenoma is not proven.
Strong recommendation, low quality evidence.
2
ESGE recommends endoscopic ultrasound and ...abdominal magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) for staging of ampullary tumors.
Strong recommendation, low quality evidence.
3
ESGE recommends endoscopic papillectomy in patients with ampullary adenoma without intraductal extension, because of good results regarding outcome (technical and clinical success, morbidity, and recurrence). Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence.
4
ESGE recommends en bloc resection of ampullary adenomas up to 20–30 mm in diameter to achieve R0 resection, for optimizing the complete resection rate, providing optimal histopathology, and reduction of the recurrence rate after endoscopic papillectomy.
Strong recommendation, low quality evidence.
5
ESGE suggests considering surgical treatment of ampullary adenomas when endoscopic resection is not feasible for technical reasons (e. g. diverticulum, size > 4 cm), and in the case of intraductal involvement (of > 20 mm). Surveillance thereafter is still mandatory.
Weak recommendation, low quality evidence.
6
ESGE recommends direct snare resection without submucosal injection for endoscopic papillectomy. Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence.
7
ESGE recommends prophylactic pancreatic duct stenting to reduce the risk of pancreatitis after endoscopic papillectomy.
Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence.
8
ESGE recommends long-term monitoring of patients after endoscopic papillectomy or surgical ampullectomy, based on duodenoscopy with biopsies of the scar and of any abnormal area, within the first 3 months, at 6 and 12 months, and thereafter yearly for at least 5 years.
Strong recommendation, low quality evidence.
Endoscopic resection is safe and effective to remove early neoplasia (ie,high-grade intra-epithelial neoplasia/early cancer) in Barrett's oesophagus. To prevent metachronous lesions during follow-up, ...the remaining Barrett's oesophagus can be removed by stepwise radical endoscopic resection (SRER). The aim was to evaluate the combined experience in four tertiary referral centres with SRER to eradicate Barrett's oesophagus with early neoplasia.
Retrospective cohort study.
Four tertiary referral centres.
169 patients (151 males, age 64 years (IQR 57-71), Barrett's oesophagus 3 cm (IQR 2-5)) with early neoplasia in Barrett's oesophagus < or = 5 cm, without deep submucosal infiltration or lymph node metastases, treated by SRER between January 2000 and September 2006.
Endoscopic resection every 4-8 weeks, until complete endoscopic and histological eradication of Barrett's oesophagus and neoplasia.
According to intention-to-treat analysis complete eradication of all neoplasia and all intestinal metaplasia by the end of the treatment phase was reached in 97.6% (165/169) and 85.2% (144/169) of patients, respectively. One patient had progression of neoplasia during treatment and died of metastasised adenocarcinoma (0.6%). After median follow-up of 32 months (IQR 19-49), complete eradication of neoplasia and intestinal metaplasia was sustained in 95.3% (161/169) and 80.5% (136/169) of patients, respectively. Acute, severe complications occurred in 1.2% of patients, and 49.7% of patients developed symptomatic stenosis.
SRER of Barrett's oesophagus < or = 5 cm containing early neoplasia appears to be an effective treatment modality with a low rate of recurrent lesions during follow-up. The procedure, however, is technically demanding and is associated with oesophageal stenosis in half of the patients.
Self-expanding metal stents (SEMSs) are recommended in unresectable distal malignant biliary obstruction. However, problems with dysfunction and migration of these stents are not negligible. We aimed ...to investigate the effectiveness and safety of a new 12-Fr plastic stent.
In an observational, prospective study, all consecutive patients who underwent biliary stenting with the 12-Fr stent were considered (index group). Referent groups were a historical cohort, matched by sex, etiology, and metastatic status, including patients with 10-Fr plastic stents and with fully covered and uncovered SEMSs (FCSEMSs and UCSEMSs). Outcomes were stent patency, recurrent biliary obstruction (RBO), technical success, 30-day mortality and adverse events. A post-procedure examination of removed stents was done.
72 patients (median age 66, range 32 - 94 years, 50 % men) were included (24 index, 48 referents). There were no differences in median stent patency time (
= 0.684). RBO was significantly lower with the 12-Fr compared with the 10-Fr profile stent (50 % vs. 81.3 %,
= 0.04), but no difference was found compared with the FCSEMSs (50 % vs. 43.8 %,
= 0.698). Technical success was 100 %, with no differences in 30-day mortality
= 0.105). The adverse events rate was 4.2 % for both groups (index n = 1, referents n = 2). Of 11 removed 12-Fr plastic stents suspected to be dysfunctional, 7 (64 %) were still patent.
This new 12-Fr plastic stent could be an effective and cheaper alternative to SEMSs in distal malignant biliary obstruction.
Definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is increasingly used as a nonsurgical treatment for esophageal cancer. In Japanese studies, salvage endoscopic resection (ER) has emerged as a promising strategy ...for local failure after definitive CRT. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of salvage ER in a Western setting.
Gastroenterologists from Europe and the United States were invited to submit their experience with salvage endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) or endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) after definitive CRT. Participating gastroenterologists completed an anonymized database, including patient demographics, clinicopathologic variables, and follow-up on survival and recurrence.
Gastroenterologists from 10 endoscopic units in 6 European countries submitted information on 25 patients. A total of 35 salvage ER procedures were performed, of which 69% were ESD and 31% EMR. Most patients had squamous cell carcinoma (64%) of the middle or lower esophagus (68%) staged as cT2-3 (68%) and cN+ (52%) before definitive CRT. The median time from end of definitive CRT to ER was 22 months (interquartile range, 6-47). The en-bloc resection rate was 92% for ESD and 46% for EMR. During a median of 24 months (interquartile range, 12-59) of follow-up after salvage ER, 52% developed a recurrence (11 locoregional, 2 distant). The 5-year recurrence-free survival, overall survival, and disease-specific survival were 36%, 52%, and 79%, respectively. No major intra- or postprocedural adverse events, such as bleeding or perforation, were reported.
In carefully selected esophageal cancer patients, salvage ER is technically feasible after definitive CRT. Further prospective research is recommended to validate the safety and effectivity of salvage ER for the management of local failure.
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Combined endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) and endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition (EUS-TA) are accurate procedures for the diagnosis and ...staging of mediastinal lymph nodes (MLNs) in lung cancer. However, the respective contribution of separate and combined procedures in diagnosis and staging has not been fully studied. The aim of this study was to assess their respective performances.
Patients with suspected malignant MLNs in lung cancer or recurrence identified by PET-CT who underwent combined EBUS-TBNA and EUS-TA were retrospectively reviewed.
A total of 141 patients underwent both procedures. Correct diagnosis was obtained in 82% with EBUS-TBNA, 91% with EUS-TA, and 94% with the combined procedure. The overall sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV) of EBUS-TBNA, EUS-TA, and the combined procedure for diagnosing malignancy were 75%, 100%, 100%, 58%, 87%, 100%, 100%, 75%, and 93%, 100%, 100%, 80%, respectively, with a significantly better sensitivity of the combined procedure (
< 0.0001). Staging (82/141 patients) was correctly assessed in 74% with EBUS-TBNA, 68% with EUS-TA, and 85% with the combined procedure. The overall sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of EBUS-TBNA, EUS-TA, and the combined procedure for lung cancer staging were 62%, 100%, 100%, 55%, 54%, 100%, 100%, 50%, and 79%, 100%, 100%, 68%, respectively, significantly better in terms of sensitivity for the combined procedure (
< 0.001).
The combined EBUS-EUS approach in lung cancer patients showed better accuracy and sensitivity in diagnosis and staging when compared with EBUS-TBNA and EUS-TA alone.
High rates of technical and clinical success were reported for lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS) placement for peripancreatic fluid collection (PFC) drainage. However, data on the adverse event (AE) ...rates are heterogeneous. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence, severity, management, and risk factors of AEs related to the use of LAMSs for drainage of PFCs in a large cohort of patients.
This is a multicenter, international, retrospective review from 15 centers of all patients who underwent placement of LAMSs for the management of PFCs. A nested case-control study was conducted in patients with (case) or without (control) AEs.
Three hundred thirty-three procedures in 328 patients were performed (5 patients treated with 2 LAMSs). Technical success was achieved in 321 patients (97.9%). Three hundred four patients were finally included in the study (7 excluded for lost to follow-up information; 10 excluded for deaths unrelated to LAMSs). The rate of clinical success was 89.5%. Seventy-nine LAMS-related AEs occurred in 74 of 304 patients (24.3%), after a mean time of 25.3 days (median, 18 days; interquartile range, 6-30) classified as 20 (25.3%) mild, 54 (68.4%) moderate, or 5 (6.3%) severe. On multivariable analysis compared with control subjects, cases were more likely to have walled-off necrosis (WON) versus pancreatic pseudocysts (odds ratio, 2.18; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-4.46; P = .028), whereas cases were less likely to have undergone tract (balloon) dilation (yes vs no; odds ratio, .47; 95% confidence interval, .22-.93; P = .034).
Data from this large international retrospective study confirm that the use of LAMSs for management of PFCs has excellent technical and good clinical success rates. The rate of AEs, however, is not negligible and should be carefully considered before using these stents for drainage of PFCs and in particular for WON. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings. (Clinical trial registration number: NCT 03544008.)