How fast does gastric cancer emerge?

Hi,

For people who are at "high risk" for developing gastric cancer, how often should an EGD be done?

I had an EGD two years ago but now have symptoms that would prompt another EGD.

The EGD was done with stomach biopsies which were normal. If those were normal, how "long" does it take for a cancer to form, grow, and spread in the case of stomach cancer? In fact, the last EGD was done 16 months ago (not 24).

Yo Premed,

I know you will ask the EGD doc this very question when you schedule your next endoscopy. That should be real soon, no? Please don't delay if you are having symptoms.

Cheers, and here's looking for a clean test result........

Scott

Hi,

My mom had an endoscopy done every year because she always suffered of gastritis and her exams were always clean, except for the last one.  So within one year we saw her cancer through this exam.  We were very surprised she was at a stage IV - how could it be if last year she didn't have it?  Well, the answer was that the endoscopy test will not show you have stomach cancer until it has penetrated all the layers of your stomach, at this point being too late.  I asked the doctor (the gastro oncologist this time) which other way it could have been prevented and he said the only way is to have a CT scan if your "gastritis" symptoms persist.

I hope this helps and I wish you good luck.  I am sorry if my answer is a bit scary but I just want everybody to be aware that an endoscopy will not detect stomach cancer on time, it is normally at the last stage.

-Wendy

 

On 4/9/2009 wendolima wrote:

Hi,

My mom had an endoscopy done every year because she always suffered of gastritis and her exams were always clean, except for the last one.  So within one year we saw her cancer through this exam.  We were very surprised she was at a stage IV - how could it be if last year she didn't have it?  Well, the answer was that the endoscopy test will not show you have stomach cancer until it has penetrated all the layers of your stomach, at this point being too late.  I asked the doctor (the gastro oncologist this time) which other way it could have been prevented and he said the only way is to have a CT scan if your "gastritis" symptoms persist.

I hope this helps and I wish you good luck.  I am sorry if my answer is a bit scary but I just want everybody to be aware that an endoscopy will not detect stomach cancer on time, it is normally at the last stage.

-Wendy

Hi, I'm new to this site so bare with me. I have been diagonised with low grade malt-lymphoma of the stomach. Since July of 2008 had an endoscopy done and it showed that i had H-pylori and they gave me 2 types of antiboitics to take and that helped. Since then had many endoscopies done usually every 3 months and this last time they found some low grade malt lymphoma, will be seeing the oncologist next week and see what kind of treatments i will need. Here i thought it was in remission and it came back. I will get through this , i hope. Last year i lost my husband to lung cancer, my niece to cancer, a friend to cancer , all in three months. So, i am concerned about this.

thanks for listening to me.

My impression is that the time to development varies, but annual endoscopies are highly sensitive at detecting gastric adenocarcinoma. Nothing is perfect, but sensitivity is usually around 95% in most studies particularly when employing an experienced endoscopist with both biopsy of samples and visual inspection. In fact, EGD is the only method for diagnosis and detecting at stage 0 in situ is easily possible. That said I don't think there are guidelines on endoscopy as there are with colonoscopy. Unfortunately because gastric cancer is less prevalent in the US compared with colon and breast cancer, these cancers are the ones that receive the most attention. As a result treatments for metastatic colon and breast cancer are becoming very good, while the same is not true for gastric. This is largely a function of the women's rights movement by turning the disease into a feminist crusade against and potent symbol of female power (as well as a health issue.). I'm not sure the breakdown, but the amount of money given to breast and colon cancer exponentially exceeds gastric for basic science research even though gastric cancer is a major epidemic worldwide.

hello my name is louise i am new at this.i had a scope done of stomach last june  the doc told me i had  cell in the situ she said that they had to keep an eye on it. i have to see in june to get another scope done.if it turn to cancer she said it would be intestinal cancer.so she put me on parit for the heart burn twice a day and domperidone five times a day to empty my stomach.they also dianoses me with chronic imflamation of stomach. I am getting pretty scare to get another biopsy done. dont know what to think. i have a hard time eating everything i eat bothers me.does anywone have any info on what is going on with me.

I would place this word of caution, PET,  EDG and biopsies did not show the 10x12.5x1cm tumor which developed in the submucosa of my husbands stomach, a condition known as linnitus plastica. This is only detected with EUS endoscopic ultrasound. I would alternate EDG with EUS.