Serum Tests As Precursor To Invasive Scope - Enabling Early Gastric Cancer Detection

26 January 2007

Research has shown that serum tests work effectively as a pre-screening method for atrophic gastritis and gastric cancer.

These tests will foster the detection rate of early cancer in patients - providing not only a far less invasive examination as compared to the conventional scope method, but also give patients a cheap, convenient and safe alternative. The study appears in the February 2007 issue of the newly re-named Journal of Digestive Diseases - the official journal of the Chinese Society of Gastroenterology. As the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, endoscopy and biopsy have been the conventional methods employed for the screening and diagnosis of gastric cancer and atrophic gastritis. After evaluating the risk of atrophic gastritis and gastric cancer with serological tests, researchers have concluded that serum pepsinogen, gastrin-17 and Helicobacter pylori IgG antibodies can be employed effectually to screen for atrophic gastritis and gastric cancer. Leading author Dr. Cao Qin, Instructor of Medicine at the Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine affiliated Renji Hospital, said "In Shanghai the age-standardized incidence of gastric cancer in men has been halved over the last 30 years, from 62 in every 100,000 in 1972, to just 29 out of every 100,000 in 2002. While the incidence and mortality rates have fallen dramatically in many regions - including countries like the United States, France, and Switzerland - other regions such as Shanghai remain a high risk area. With serum tests now enabling an even earlier detection of atrophic gastritis and gastric cancer, we hope this positive trend can be further improved on." Dr. Cao added, "Serological tests are an extremely efficient method of detecting the risk of atrophic gastritis and gastric cancer - our evaluations indicate that these serum tests can be used in large scale populations because of its obvious cost and saving advantages." (Source: Journal of Digestive Diseases : Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine : January 2007.)