Invisible Gastric Carcinoma Detected By Random Biopsy (“Biopsy Gastric Cancer”): Long-Term Results After Photodynamic Therapy

Abstract

Objective: Random biopsies taken from the gastric mucosa for histological assessment of gastritis and Helicobacter pylori status, without the presence of any endoscopically visible lesions, may surprisingly result in a histological diagnosis of neoplasia (“biopsy gastric cancer”, BGC). Design: Prospective case series. Setting: 22 patients with BGC who presented during a 10-year period. Patients: 10 men, 12 women; mean age 56 ± 15 years. The initial histopathological findings were confirmed by experienced reference pathologists (10 well-differentiated adenocarcinomas and 12 signet ring cell carcinomas).