Prevalence of Gastric Preneoplastic Lesions in First-Degree Relatives of Patients with Gastric Cancer: a Cross-Sectional Study.

PURPOSE: Worldwide, gastric cancer (GC) is the 5th cancer with the highest incidence and the 4th in mortality. To reduce it, one strategy is to diagnose preneoplastic lesions (PNL): atrophic gastritis (AG), intestinal metaplasia (IM), and dysplasia (DYS); to form risk groups on which to focus surveillance efforts as are first-degree relatives (FDR). The aim of this study was to determine prevalence of gastric PNL in FDR of patients with GC, and to study association with sex, age, and Helicobacter pylorii (Hp) infection.

METHODS: Cross-sectional study. One hundred and ten FDR, aged between 50 and 65 years, 54.5 female, obtained through convenience sampling, were studied. Biodemographic data survey and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with histological study were applied according to Sidney protocol, and focal lesions found. Diagnosis of these lesions and condition of mucosa was carried out by applying OLGA and OLGIM systems. Descriptive statistics, estimation of prevalence, odds ratio (OR), and 95% confidence intervals (95CI) were calculated.

RESULTS: Median age of study group was 56.5 years. Prevalence of PNL, AG, IM, and DYS were 86.4%, 82.7%, 54.5%, and 12.7% respectively. Advanced stages of OLGA and OLGIM were verified in 18.0% and 16.3% respectively. No association with sex, age, and Hp infection were found ([OR 3.10; 95CI 1.0; 9.64]; [OR 0.74; 95CI 0.26; 2.14]; [OR 0.58; 95CI 0.12; 2.77]) respectively.

CONCLUSION: FDR of patients with GC have a high prevalence of PNL, which makes them a risk group in which endoscopic surveillance should be applied.