Endoscopic resection (ER) including endoscopic submucosal dissection has been widely accepted for treatment of early gastric cancer (EGC) in Japan. Additional surgery is recommended when ER is non-curative histologically. Many elderly patients, however, do not undergo radical surgery due to comorbid disease or limited life expectancy. The aim of this study is to assess the survival outcomes of radical surgery compared with observation only in elderly patients after non-curative ER.