Clinical outcomes of argon plasma coagulation therapy for early gastric neoplasms

Background/Aims: Argon plasma coagulation (APC) has some merits in the treatment of gastric neoplasms including a shorter operative time and fewer complications compared with endoscopic mucosal resection or endoscopic submucosal dissection. However, there are few reports on the outcomes of gastric neoplasms treated using APC. The aim of this study was to evaluate APC in the treatment of early gastric neoplasms in terms of clinical efficacy, safety, and local recurrence. Methods: We enrolled 28 patients who received APC therapy at the Kyungpook National University Hospital between May 2007 and April 2013. Clinical outcomes were analyzed. Results: The median follow-up period was 24.8 months (range, 2 to 78). Among the 28 lesions treated using the APC procedure, tumor recurrence was encountered in seven lesions (25.0%). Recurrence was found in 50% (5/10) of single APC cases and 11% (2/18) of rescue APC cases. The mean time to recurrence was 16.1 months (range, 2 to 78). There were no serious APC-related complications such as perforation, bleeding, or infection. Conclusions: APC therapy can be a useful treatment with a favorable safety profile for patients with early gastric neoplasms. However, further studies are necessary to determine the long-term prognosis of patients undergoing this treatment.