The purpose of screening is early diagnosis and treatment. Screening tests are administered to people without current symptoms, but who may be at high risk for certain diseases or conditions.
Screening Guidelines
There are no standard tests or current guidelines for stomach cancer screening in the US. However, if you have any risk factors for stomach cancer, your doctor will want to discuss them with you to help reduce your risk. In certain cases, your doctor may check for the possibility of cancer in the stomach. Those with higher than average risk of stomach cancer include having a positive family history or specific genetic mutations.
An upper GI endoscopy allows the doctor to examine the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine, and collect tissue samples to examine under a microscope.
Talk to your doctor about your stomach cancer risk and any tests you may need.
References
Can stomach cancer be found early? American Cancer Society website. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/stomach-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/detection.html. Updated March 15, 2016. Accessed September 1, 2017.
Gastric carcinoma. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at: http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T116155/Gastric-carcinoma . Updated September 16, 2016. Accessed June 28, 2017.
Stomach cancer. Merck Manual Professional Version website. Available at: http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/gastrointestinal-disorders/tumors-of-the-gi-tract/stomach-cancer. Updated January 2017. Accessed September 1, 2017.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: EBSCO Medical Review Board Michael Woods, MD, FAAP
- Review Date: 09/2018
- Update Date: 06/26/2017