Factors associated with oesophagogastric cancers missed by gastroscopy: a case-control study

Abstract

Introduction: There is increasing demand for gastroscopy in the United Kingdom. In around 10% of patients, gastroscopy is presumed to have missed oesophagogastric (OG) cancer prior to diagnosis. We examine patient, endoscopist and service level factors that may affect rates of missed OG cancers.

Methods: Gastroscopies presumed to have missed OG cancers performed up to 3 years prior to diagnosis were identified over 6 years in Sheffield, UK. Factors related to the patient, endoscopist and endoscopy lists were examined in a case-control study. Procedures which missed cancer were compared with two procedure controls: the procedures which subsequently diagnosed cancer in the same patient, and second, endoscopist matched procedures diagnostic of small benign focal lesions.

Results: We identified 48 (7.7%) cases of missed OG cancer. Endoscopy lists on which OG cancer diagnoses were missed contained a greater number of total procedures compared with lists on which diagnoses were subsequently made (OR 1.42 95% CI 1.13 to 1.78) and when compared with lists during which matched endoscopists diagnosed benign small focal lesions (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.52). The use of sedation, endoscopist profession and experience, or time of procedure were not associated with a missed cancer.

Conclusion: 7.7% of patients diagnosed with OG cancer could have been diagnosed and treated earlier. Our study suggests that endoscopy lists with greater numbers of procedures may be associated with missed OG cancers. The use of sedation, endoscopist background or time of procedure did not increase the risk of missed cancer procedures.

Keywords: gastric cancer; gastroscopy; oesophageal cancer; post OGD upper gastrointestinal cancer; quality assessment.

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.

Figures

Figure 1

Selection of the cases and control groups used to investigate factors contributing to the risk of cancer diagnoses being missed at gastroscopy. Control group 1 comprises procedures at which cancer was diagnosed following a previous non-diagnostic procedure. Control group 2 comprises procedures at which endoscopists who were considered to have missed early cancers identified small benign lesions. GA, general anaesthetic.