The Role of Endoscopy and Biopsy in Evaluating Preneoplastic and Particular Gastric Lesions

Abstract

Although incidence has declined in recent years, gastric cancer still represents the second most frequent cause of cancer-related mortality in the world [1]. The prognosis of stom‐ ach cancer is related to the stage of disease at the time of diagnosis, with a good progno‐ sis associated with early gastric cancer [2]. Therefore, it is essential an early diagnosis of gastric carcinoma, at present only about 10-20% of cancers being diagnosed in an early phase [3]. A great interest has arisen in recent years in the detection and management of premalignant conditions and early gastric cancer because of the high cure rate achieved treating these lesions, compared with advanced gastric cancer. The well known multistep cascade of carcinogenesis developed by Correa [4] is represented by superficial gastritis followed by atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia and increasing grades of dysplasia, leading to gastric adenocarcinoma. Surveillance of the premalignant lesions could deter‐ mine an early detection of patients with disease progression, with the possibility of early therapeutic intervention and improved survival of these patients [5].