GASTRIC CANCER ENDOSCOPIC SCREENING IN AN INTERMED mbb.mourato@ensp.unl.pt

PW02-15

GASTRIC CANCER ENDOSCOPIC SCREENING IN AN INTERMED

7

 

 

 

 

Portugal

Oral or Poster

Gastric cancer remains a major global health concern and is still frequently diagnosed at advanced stages in Western countries. Despite increasing evidence supporting the role of endoscopic screening in intermediate-risk regions such as Portugal, no national programme currently exists. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of opportunistic upper endoscopy performed simultaneously with colorectal cancer screening.

We conducted an observational retrospective study including individuals aged 50–74 years scheduled for a screening colonoscopy, who were invited to undergo an additional upper endoscopy, between February 2023 and February 202 in 2 Portuguese centres.

Of 401 individuals invited, 380 (94.8%) accepted and underwent upper endoscopy, and 377 were included in the final analysis. Histological findings included Helicobacter pylori infection (30.8%), chronic atrophic gastritis (36.9%) and intestinal metaplasia (10.1%). Regarding neoplastic lesions, 2 cases (0.5%) of low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia, 3 cases (0.8%) of gastric adenocarcinoma and 2 cases (0.5%) of gastrointestinal stromal tumours were identified, yielding a total malignancy rate of 1.9%; no early gastric cancers were identified. Colorectal findings included 29.2% precancerous lesions and 3.4% invasive colorectal cancer.

This study confirms that opportunistic upper endoscopic screening, integrated into colorectal cancer screening programmes, is feasible, well accepted, and diagnostically valuable in an intermediate-risk Western population. The high rate of precancerous conditions and malignant lesions detected reinforces the need for structured screening strategies. These results align with international recommendations and provide real-world evidence to support broader implementation in similar healthcare contexts.