Adapted from BMJ 21 September 2024
Do you really need a gastroscopy? This is a very commonly performed and unpleasant procedure for the patient. Health Boards tend to have criteria to guide GPs as to referral. Despite this, pick up rates of serious pathology are low.
In the UK, 400,000 gastroscopy results were analysed. Only one in ten showed anything other than normal findings or minor pathology.
Only one in 100 gastroscopies showed malignancy.
In patients under 50, less than 1% had malignancy, regardless of symptoms.
Those most likely to have cancer were men, the over 50s, those who had problems swallowing, and those with weight loss.
Diabetes Diet 