Surveillance for Gastric Cancer

Abstract

This article discusses the current National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines and other available Western and Eastern guidelines for the surveillance of gastric cancer following surgical resection. It reviews the literature assessing the utility of intensive surveillance strategies for gastric cancer, which fails to show an improvement in survival. The unique issues relating to follow-up of early gastric cancer and after endoscopic resection of early gastric cancer are discussed. This article also reviews the available modalities for follow-up. In addition, it briefly discusses the advancements in treatment of recurrent and metastatic disease and the implications for gastric cancer survival and surveillance strategies.

Keywords: Adenocarcinoma; Early gastric cancer; Follow-up studies; Gastrectomy; Gastric cancer; Stomach neoplasms; Surveillance.