Detection of secondary upper gastrointestinal tract cancer during follow-up esophagogastroduodenoscopy after gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

Aim: Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) may contribute to early detection of secondary cancer in the upper gastrointestinal tract although the clinical relevance of follow-up after gastrectomy remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the effectiveness of follow-up EGD by investigating the incidence of secondary cancer in any part of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Methods: Data from 1438 patients who underwent curative partial gastrectomy for primary gastric cancer between 2008 and 2014 and follow-up EGD at least once during a 5-year follow-up period were retrospectively reviewed. Incidence rates of remnant gastric cancer, laryngeal cancer, and esophageal cancer detected after follow-up EGD were determined, and risk factors for secondary cancers were examined. The characteristics of clinicopathological diagnoses of secondary cancers were reviewed and compared according to the frequency of follow-up EGD. Results: The average annual frequency of EGD was 0.7, while the 5-year cumulative incidence rates of remnant gastric cancer and secondary laryngeal and esophageal cancers were 2.9% and 1.3%, respectively. Risk factors for remnant gastric cancer included heavy smoking, proximal gastrectomy, and tumor size ≥ 30 mm. All secondary cancers were resectable upon diagnosis, with endoscopically resectable cancer accounting for 81.0% of cases. Our results found a significantly higher proportion of endoscopically resectable cancers during regular follow-up than during infrequent follow-up. Conclusions: Follow-up EGD can be a useful modality for detecting secondary upper gastrointestinal tract cancer, likely leading to curative treatment for secondary cancer. Focusing on patients presenting with risk factors may increase the value of follow-up EGD after gastrectomy.