BACKGROUND Whether surveillance strategy after curative endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early gastric cancer (EGC) differs in young patients is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the risk of metachronous and extragastric recurrence in young patients with EGC after curative ESD.

METHODS We retrospectively enrolled 1237 consecutive patients who underwent curative ESD for EGC from 2005 to 2014 at a single tertiary hospital. The patients were divided into group 1 (<50 years of age, n = 86), group 2 (age 50-74, n = 985), or group 3 (≥75 years of age, n = 166). The clinical characteristics and outcomes were compared among the three age groups.

RESULTS Group 1 had more frequent Helicobacter pylori infection (P < 0.001), less frequent intestinal metaplasia (P = 0.021), and more frequent undifferentiated tumors (P = 0.039). Although the 5-year risk of developing metachronous recurrence appeared to be lower in group 1 (2.7%) than in groups 2 (8.6%) or 3 (8.7%), the risk became quite similar at the 7-year follow-up (6.4, 12.7, and 8.7% for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively; P = 0.409 by log-rank test). Extragastric recurrences developed in only 2 cases in group 2 (0.2%).

CONCLUSIONS Surveillance for metachronous and extragastric recurrence after curative ESD in patients <50 years of age should not be different from that in patients ≥50 years of age. Endoscopic surveillance for metachronous recurrence should be continued for longer than 5 years, even in young patients.