Patients who develop upper gastrointestinal cancers within three years of an endoscopy are less likely to have red flag symptoms than those with endoscopy-detected cancers, a pivotal review shows.

The findings, published in Gastroenterology, provide fresh insights into the epidemiology of post-endoscopy upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancers and could inform clinical decision-making, the UK researchers say.

“Evidence-based strategies are required to target the prevention of [these cancers] … and reduce delays in diagnosis, with the aim of ultimately improving prognosis,” they wrote.

In their systematic review and meta-analysis, the University of East Anglia-led team analysed data from more than 81,000 upper GI cancers to compare the characteristics between those detected during and after oesophagogastroduodenoscopy.