Abstract
Recently, esophagogastroduodenoscopy performed with an esophagogastroduodenoscope of small diameter (thin-EGD) for the detection of gastric cancer (GC) has become prevalent in opportunistic screenings. However, the efficacy of thin-EGD is still unclear. In the present study, we investigated the potency of thin-EGD for the detection of early GC. We analyzed the results of 14,075 endoscopic examinations performed at opportunistic screenings from April 2002 to March 2008 at our institution. Based on the endoscope models utilized in the GC screenings, the subjects were divided into two groups: the conventional endoscopy (CE) group and the thin-EGD group. There were no significant differences in the detection rate of GC (CE: 0.37%, thin-EGD, 0.20%) and early GC (CE: 86.7%, thin-EGD: 83.3%) between the two groups. However, in the subjects who underwent repeated screenings within a period of three years, the detection rate of intramucosal cancer for thin-EGD was significantly lower than that for CE (CE: 100%, thin-EGD: 62.5%). Furthermore, in six of 19 subjects (31.9%) who underwent repeated endoscopy, previous examinations revealed abnormal findings at the same location as that of the GC, suggesting a malignant lesion. In addition, at the previous examinations, all of these subjects were examined using thin-EGD. Thus, further studies are needed to clarify the efficacy of thin-EGD in the detection of intramucosal GC.
