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Gastrointestinal Oncology pp 75–91Cite as

Precursors for upper gastrointestinal cancer: the need for screening

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Part of the book series: Cancer Treatment and Research ((CTAR,volume 33))

Abstract

Over the past two decades, an increasing number of reports in the literature have suggested that cancer of the esophagus and stomach may develop in association with certain underlying disorders or following previous surgery for benign disease. These reports have prompted recommendations for periodic surveillance, particularly endoscopic surveillance, of patients with achalasia, columnar epithelium-lined (Barrett’s) esophagus, pernicious anemia, gastric polyps, and those who have had a previous operation for benign peptic ulcer disease, the presumption being that these conditions are associated with an increased risk of malignant disease. The actual benefit of disease screening programs of this sort is not necessarily obvious, however, and the utility of periodic surveillance for these conditions remains controversial. In this chapter, we describe the general conditions under which periodic screening constitutes optimal clinical practice. We then assess present knowledge about the relative benefits of screening patients with these specific precursor lesions.

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Authors
  1. David E. Larson
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  2. L. Joseph Melton III
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Veterans Administration Medical Center, University of Kentucky Medical Center and Lucille Parker Markey Cancer Center, 40536-0084, Lexington, KY, USA

    John S. MacDonald M.D.

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© 1987 Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Boston

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Larson, D.E., Melton, L.J. (1987). Precursors for upper gastrointestinal cancer: the need for screening. In: MacDonald, J.S. (eds) Gastrointestinal Oncology. Cancer Treatment and Research, vol 33. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2031-9_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2031-9_3

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