Objective To analyze the results of opportunistic screening for upper gastrointestinal cancer to guide endoscopic screening and follow-up.

Methods Data from opportunistic screening gastroscopy and pathology from December 2011 to December 2021 in a specific region over a decade were analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups based on the frequency of gastroscopy: the first gastroscopy group and the follow-up gastroscopy group, and the detection rate of upper digestive cancer and the upper digestive cancer early diagnosis rate between the two group were compared. The data of the patients with upper gastrointestinal cancer of the follow-up group were analyzed retrospectively.

Results A total of 141 688 cases were analyzed, including 115 482 cases in the was first screening group, 3 129 cases of upper gastrointestinal cancer were found, the detection rate of cancer in the first opportunistic screening group was 2.71%, the early diagnosis rate was 10.5%, and 26 206 cases in the follow-up gastroscopy group, 152 cases of upper gastrointestinal cancer were screened out. The detection rate of upper gastrointestinal cancer was 0.58% and early diagnosis rate was 30.9%. The detection rate of upper gastrointestinal cancer in the first gastroscopy screening group was higher than that in the gastroscopy follow-up group, and the early diagnosis rate was lower than that in the follow-up gastroscopy group (P < 0.01). Among 152 cases of upper gastrointestinal cancer in the gastroscopy review group, there were 119 males and 33 females, aged 40-69 years, accounting for 77.6%. Within 2-4 years after the first gastroscopy, 73 cases of upper gastrointestinal cancer were discovered, accounting for 48.02%.

Conclusions Both gastroscopic screening and follow-up gastroscopy play important roles in the opportunistic screening of upper gastrointestinal cancer.