DETECTING STAGE 3 STOMACH CANCER THROUGH GASTROINTESTINAL ENDOSCOPY

🗨️ Recently, CarePlus received a male patient born in 1982 who came in for a routine general health screening. He reported feeling generally well, with only occasional mild stomach discomfort and belching. These symptoms were infrequent and did not interfere with his daily life, so he had never considered them a cause for concern.
During the consultation, based on signs suggestive of upper gastrointestinal pathology, the doctor recommended an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for further screening.
Endoscopic findings revealed a large ulcerative lesion located in the antrum of the stomach, approximately 5 cm in size, with elevated margins, a firm base, and easy bleeding upon contact. A biopsy of the lesion was performed for histopathological examination.
‼️ In clinical practice, CarePlus has identified many cases of gastric cancer incidentally detected during routine health check-ups, even when patients had no specific symptoms.
⭐ Gastric cancer is one of the most common gastrointestinal malignancies and is known for its silent progression in the early stages. Initial symptoms are often non-specific, such as mild epigastric discomfort, bloating, indigestion, or belching, which are easily mistaken for gastritis or functional digestive disorders.
Most cases of gastric cancer are diagnosed at a late stage due to the following key reasons:
🔸 Many individuals tend to overlook mild or intermittent digestive symptoms, attributing them to stress, irregular eating habits, or busy lifestyles, which delays medical evaluation.
🔸 Early gastric cancer often does not cause significant pain or distinctive signs, making it difficult for patients to recognise and leading to missed opportunities for early diagnosis.
🔸Many people are not fully aware of the importance of gastrointestinal endoscopy in detecting precancerous lesions and early-stage cancer, resulting in low screening rates.

Gastrointestinal endoscopy is the "gold standard" for diagnosing digestive system conditions. Particularly, painless endoscopy is recommended by the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) and the Asian Consensus for its high diagnostic accuracy and quick cancer screening capabilities.