Survival outcomes and rate of missed upper gastrointestinal cancers at routine endoscopy: a single centre retrospective cohort study

Quality indicators in the endoscopic detection of gastric cancer

Gastroscopy is the reference standard for the diagnosis of gastric cancer, but it is operator-dependent and associated with missed gastric cancer. The proliferation of gastroscopic examinations, increasingly for the screening and detection of subtle premalignant lesions, has motivated scrutiny of quality in gastroscopy. The concept of a high-quality endoscopic examination for the detection of superficial gastric neoplasia has been defined by expert guidelines to improve mucosal visualization, engender a systematic examination process and detect superficial neoplasia. This review discusses the evidence supporting the components of a high-quality diagnostic gastroscopic examination in relation to the detection of gastric cancer, and their potential role as procedural quality indicators to drive a structured improvement in clinically meaningful outcomes.

Prevalence and risk factors of upper gastrointestinal cancers missed during endoscopy: a nationwide registry-based study

BACKGROUND

A significant proportion of upper gastrointestinal cancers (UGICs) remain undetected during esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). We investigated the characteristics and risk factors of UGICs missed during endoscopy.

METHODS

In this nationwide registry-based study, we analyzed two large Polish datasets (National Health Fund and National Cancer Registry) to identify individuals who underwent EGD and were subsequently diagnosed with UGIC. Cancers diagnosed < 6 months after EGD were defined as "prevalent" and those within ≥ 6- < 36 months as "missed." We compared the characteristics of missed and prevalent cancers, and analyzed the risk factors for missed UGICs in a multivariable regression model.

RESULTS

We included 4 105 399 patients (mean age 56.0 years [SD 17.4]; 57.5 % female) who underwent 5 877 674 EGDs in 2012-2018. Within this cohort, 33 241 UGICs were diagnosed, of which 1993 (6.0 %) were missed. Within esophageal neoplasms, adenocarcinomas were more frequently missed than squamous cell cancers (6.1 % vs. 4.2 %), with a relative risk of 1.4 (95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.1-1.8, P = 0.01). Most gastric cancers were adenocarcinomas, of which 5.7 % were classified as missed. Overall, a higher proportion of missed UGICs than prevalent cancers presented at an advanced stage (42.2 % vs. 36.2 %, P < 0.001). Risk factors for missed UGICs included initial EGD performed within primary (vs. secondary) care (odds ratio [OR] 1.3, 95 %CI 1.2-1.5), female sex (OR 1.3, 95 %CI 1.2-1.4), and higher comorbidity (Charlson comorbidity index ≥ 5 vs. 0; OR 6.0, 95 %CI 4.7-7.5).

CONCLUSIONS

Among UGICs, esophageal adenocarcinomas were missed most frequently. Missed cancers occur more frequently within the primary care sector and are found more often in women and individuals with multiple comorbidities.

Clinical and Endoscopic Characteristics Associated With Post-Endoscopy Upper Gastrointestinal Cancers: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Ten percent of patients with an upper gastrointestinal cancer will have received an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) within 3 years before diagnosis, termed post-endoscopy upper gastrointestinal cancers (PEUGIC). We aimed to determine the characteristics of PEUGIC, and compare these with detected cancers.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE and Embase from inception for studies comparing the characteristics of PEUGIC and detected upper gastrointestinal cancers, and reported findings at the initial "cancer-negative" endoscopy. We synthesized results using random effects meta-analysis. This review is registered on PROSPERO, CRD42019125780.

RESULTS

A total of 2696 citations were screened and 25 studies were included, comprising 81,184 UGI cancers, of which 7926 were considered PEUGIC. For PEUGIC assessed within 6 to 36 months of a "cancer-negative" EGD, the mean interval was approximately 17 months. Patients with PEUGIC were less likely to present with dysphagia (odds ratio [OR] 0.37) and weight loss (OR 0.58) and were more likely to present with gastroesophageal reflux (OR 2.64) than detected cancers. PEUGICs were more common in women in Western populations (OR 1.30). PEUGICs were typically smaller at diagnosis and associated with less advanced disease staging compared with detected cancers (OR 2.87 for stage 1 vs 2-4). Most EGDs (>75%) were abnormal preceding diagnosis of PEUGIC.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a substantial delay in the diagnosis of PEUGIC. They are less likely to present with alarm symptoms than detected cancers. PEUGICs are overall less advanced at diagnosis. Most patients with PEUGIC have abnormalities reported at the preceding "cancer-negative" EGD. The epidemiology of PEUGIC may inform preventive strategy.

The Fear of Gastric Cancer in Patients with Dyspepsia: Challenge in Specialist Care Gastroenterology

BACKGROUND

Dyspepsia is one of the most common complaints in gastroenterology. While its etiology is usually benign, rare cases of malignancy have to be identified. Individualized risk stratification is essential for cost-effective management of dyspepsia. Here, we discuss the challenges of investigating dyspepsia at the specialist level and provide a framework for rational workup and surveillance strategies.

SUMMARY

Causes of dyspepsia can be functional or organic, including gastritis, peptic ulcers, or malignancy. H. pylori gastritis represents a specific entity of dyspepsia and increases the risk of gastric cancer. H. pylori eradication can improve symptoms in a subset of patients and reduce gastric cancer risk. In young patients without alarm features, malignancy is rare, and noninvasive testing for H. pylori is appropriate. In elder patients and those with alarm features, high-quality endoscopy is the method of choice to rule out malignancy. Advanced corpus-predominant atrophic gastritis with or without intestinal metaplasia represent precancerous lesions.

KEY MESSAGES

Symptom assessment requires to distinguish dyspepsia of functional or organic origin. Risk stratification in dyspeptic patients is based on age, alarm features, and H. pylori status. Noninvasive test-and-treat is recommended in patients with low gastric cancer risk, while endoscopy is recommended in individuals at increased risk. H. pylori infection should be eradicated in order to obtain a symptomatic benefit and reduce gastric cancer risk. Advanced preneoplastic lesions require endoscopic surveillance.