Endoscopic Mucosal Resection (EMR)

Abstract

The procedure of endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is not merely a technical matter but a series of complicated steps including precise endoscopic diagnosis, appropriate strategy of treatment, handling of the resected specimen, and finally pathological diagnosis. Before performing EMR, the lesion should be evaluated carefully with magnified observation, and the resection should be carried out systematically without cutting into the area which is suspected to be invasive. A lesion suspected to be only slightly invasive (T1a cancer) can be treated endoscopically but better be resected in one piece (en bloc). A complete resection with negative margin is essential, and the histological specimen should be carefully prepared so that a correct pathological diagnosis can be made.