Modern approaches to the diagnosis of precancerous conditions of the gastric mucosa: a literature review

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31636/prmd.v9i1.1

Keywords:

precancerous conditions of the gastric mucosa, atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia, gastroscopy, endoscopic diagnosis, histology, OLGA, OLGIM, EGGIM

Abstract

Precancerous conditions of the gastric mucosa — atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, and dysplasia — are key components of the gastric carcinogenesis cascade and determine the need for timely diagnosis and rational surveillance. This review summarizes current approaches to the detection and risk stratification of precancerous gastric lesions, with particular emphasis on the MAPS III recommendations. It discusses the capabilities of white-light endoscopy and image-enhanced endoscopy (virtual chromoendoscopy), the principles of targeted and systematic biopsy according to the Sydney protocol, as well as the role of the standardized histological staging systems OLGA/OLGIM and the endoscopic grading system for intestinal metaplasia, EGGIM, in predicting the risk of gastric cancer. Special attention is paid to the practical aspects of implementing these approaches in Ukraine, including the availability of technologies, the need for endoscopist training, ensuring the quality of morphological verification, and the organization of patient referral pathways. This review may be useful for unifying diagnostic strategies and improving the effectiveness of secondary prevention of gastric cancer in real-world clinical practice.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

  • Nazarii Sikorskyi, Department of General Surgery No. 1, Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine

    Postgraduate Student

  • Ihor Nastashenko, Department of General Surgery No. 1, Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine

    Professor, Doctor of Medical Sciences

References

1. Dinis-Ribeiro, M., Areia, M., & Pimentel-Nunes, P. (2025). Management of epithelial precancerous conditions and lesions in the stomach (MAPS III): European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE), European Helicobacter and Microbiota Study Group (EHMSG), and European Society of Pathology (ESP) guidelines. Endoscopy, 57(3), 245–272. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2529-5025

2. Correa, P. (2013). Gastric cancer: Overview. Gastroenterology Clinics of North America, 42(2), 211–217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gtc.2013.01.002

3. Choi, I. J., Kim, C. G., Lee, J. Y., Kim, Y. I., Kook, M. C., Park, B., Joo, J., Family History of Gastric Cancer Study Group, & Kim, Y. W. (2020). Family history of gastric cancer and Helicobacter pylori treatment. New England Journal of Medicine, 382(5), 427–436.https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1909666

4. Ford, A. C., Yuan, Y., Moayyedi, P., et al. (2025). Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy to prevent gastric cancer: Updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Gastroenterology. https://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(25)90004-1/fulltext

5. Malfertheiner, P., Megraud, F., Rokkas, T., et al. (2022). Management of Helicobacter pylori infection: The Maastricht VI/Florence consensus report. Gut, 71(9), 1724–1762. https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2022-327745

6. Pimentel-Nunes, P., Dinis-Ribeiro, M., Soares, J. B., Marcos-Pinto, R., Santos, C., Rolanda, C., Bastos, R. P., Areia, M., Afonso, L., Bergman, J., Sharma, P., Gotoda, T., Henrique, R., & Moreira-Dias, L. (2012). A multicenter validation of an endoscopic classification with narrow band imaging for gastric precancerous and cancerous lesions. Endoscopy, 44(3), 236–246. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0031-1291537

7. Xu, M., Zhou, W., Wu, L., Zhang, J., Wang, J., Mu, G., Huang, X., Li, Y., Yuan, J., Zeng, Z., Wang, Y., Huang, L., Liu, J., & Yu, H. (2021). Artificial intelligence in the diagnosis of gastric precancerous conditions by image-enhanced endoscopy: A multicenter, diagnostic study (with video). Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, 94(3), 540–548.e4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gie.2021.03.013

8. Tao, X., Zhu, Y., Dong, Z., Huang, L., Shang, R., Du, H., Wang, J., Zeng, X., Wang, W., Wang, J., Li, Y., Deng, Y., Wu, L., & Yu, H. (2024). An artificial intelligence system for chronic atrophic gastritis diagnosis and risk stratification under white light endoscopy. Digestive and Liver Disease. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dld.2024.01.177

9. Rokkas, T., & Ekmektzoglou, K. (2023). Current role of narrow band imaging in diagnosing gastric intestinal metaplasia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of its diagnostic accuracy. Annals of Gastroenterology, 36(2), 149–156. https://doi.org/10.20524/aog.2023.0784

10. Esposito, G., Pimentel-Nunes, P., Angeletti, S., Castro, R., Libânio, D., Galli, G., Lahner, E., Di Giulio, E., Annibale, B., & Dinis-Ribeiro, M. (2019). Endoscopic grading of gastric intestinal metaplasia (EGGIM): A multicenter validation study. Endoscopy, 51(6), 515–521. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-0808-3186

11. Fang, S., Zhang, Y., Huang, C., et al. (2022). The role of the endoscopic grading of gastric intestinal metaplasia (EGGIM) in predicting early gastric cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Oncology, 12, 1018248. https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2022.1018248

12. Cho, J.-H., Jin, S.-Y., & Park, S. (2024). Carbon footprint and cost reduction by endoscopic grading of gastric intestinal metaplasia using narrow-band imaging. Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 39, 942–948. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgh.16493

13. Kapteijn, N. E. A., Mülder, D. T., & Lansdorp-Vogelaar, I. (2025). Cost-effectiveness of upper endoscopy for gastric cancer screening and surveillance in Western populations. Best Practice & Research Clinical Gastroenterology, 75, 101982. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpg.2025.101982

14. Li, N., Yang, J., Li, X., Shi, Y., & Wang, K. (2024). Accuracy of artificial intelligence-assisted endoscopy in the diagnosis of gastric intestinal metaplasia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE, 19(5), e0303421. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0303421

15. Almeida, E., et al. (2025). Artificial intelligence for endoscopic grading of gastric intestinal metaplasia: Advancing risk stratification for gastric cancer. Endoscopy. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2657-9906

16. Rugge, M., & Genta, R. M. (2005). Staging and grading of chronic gastritis. Human Pathology, 36(3), 228–233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humpath.2004.12.008

17. Benites-Goñi, H., et al. (2025). OLGA and OLGIM staging systems on the risk assessment of gastric cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohorts. Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology, 18, 17562848251325461. https://doi.org/10.1177/17562848251325461

18. Patil, A., et al. (2025). An international inter-rater agreement study in the diagnosis of gastric epithelial dysplasia (Histopathology). Histopathology. https://doi.org/10.1111/his.15509

19. Panarese, A., Galatola, G., Armentano, R., Pimentel-Nunes, P., Ierardi, E., Caruso, M. L., Pesce, F., Lenti, M. V., Palmitessa, V., Coletta, S., & Shahini, E. (2020). Helicobacter pylori-induced inflammation masks the underlying presence of low-grade dysplasia on gastric lesions. World Journal of Gastroenterology, 26(26), 3834–3850. https://doi.org/10.3748/wjg.v26.i26.3834

20. Desai, M., Boregowda, U., Srinivasan, S., Kohli, D. R., Al Awadhi, S., Murino, A., Yu, L. H. K., Dinis-Ribeiro, D. M., & Sharma, P. (2021). Narrow band imaging for detection of gastric intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 36(8), 2038–2046. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgh.15564

21. Marcos, P., Brito-Gonçalves, G., Libânio, D., Pita, I., Castro, R., Sá, I., Dinis-Ribeiro, M., & Pimentel-Nunes, P. (2020). Endoscopic grading of gastric intestinal metaplasia on risk assessment for early gastric neoplasia: Can we replace histology assessment also in the West? Gut, 69(10), 1723–1724. https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2020-321570

22. Uemura, N., Okamoto, S., Yamamoto, S., Matsumura, N., Yamaguchi, S., & Ichinose, M. (2001). Helicobacter pylori infection and the development of gastric cancer. New England Journal of Medicine, 345(11), 784–789. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa001999 [OLD]

23. Kuang, W., Xu, J., Xu, F., Huang, W., Majid, M., Shi, H., Yuan, X., Ruan, Y., & Hu, X. (2024). Current study of pathogenetic mechanisms and therapeutics of chronic atrophic gastritis: A comprehensive review. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 12, 1513426. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2024.1513426

24. Dunbar, K. J., Lee, S.-H., Won, Y., Esquea, E. M., Yang, J. Y., Kechele, D. O., Ryeom, S., Abrams, J. A., McKeon, F. D., Wells, J. M., Quante, M., Choi, E., Que, J., Wang, T. C., Rustgi, A. K., & Goldenring, J. R. (2025). A cell marker atlas to distinguish metaplastic transitions in human esophagus and stomach. Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 19(12), 101611. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcmgh.2025.101611

25. Reyes-Placencia, D., Cantú-Germano, E., Latorre, G., Espino, A., Fernández-Esparrach, G., & Moreira, L. (2024). Gastric epithelial polyps: Current diagnosis, management, and endoscopic frontiers. Cancers, 16(22), 3771. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16223771

26. Ali, M., Srour, L., Bitar, M., Karam, K., El Hajj, I. I., & Fiani, E. (2025). Current guidelines and advances in the management of fundic gland polyps. Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 40(6), 1374–1380. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgh.16972

27. Nam, S. Y., Lee, S. W., Jeon, S. W., Kwon, Y. H., & Lee, H. S. (2020). Helicobacter pylori eradication regressed gastric hyperplastic polyp: A randomized controlled trial. Digestive Diseases and Sciences, 65(12), 3652–3659. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-020-06065-0

28. Zaffaroni, G., Mannucci, A., Koskenvuo, L., de Lacy, B., Maffioli, A., Bisseling, T., Half, E., Cavestro, G. M., Valle, L., Ryan, N., Aretz, S., Brown, K., Buttitta, F., Carneiro, F., Claber, O., Blanco-Colino, R., Collard, M., Crosbie, E., Cunha, M., … Möslein, G. (2024). Updated European guidelines for clinical management of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), MUTYH-associated polyposis (MAP), gastric adenocarcinoma, proximal polyposis of the stomach (GAPPS) and other rare adenomatous polyposis syndromes: A joint EHTG-ESCP revision. BJS, 111(5), znae070. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjs/znae070

Modern approaches to the diagnosis of precancerous conditions of the gastric mucosa: a literature review

Published

2026-06-19

Issue

Section

Original article

How to Cite

1.
Modern approaches to the diagnosis of precancerous conditions of the gastric mucosa: a literature review. prmd [Internet]. 2026 Jun. 19 [cited 2026 Jul. 10];9(1):7-15. Available from: https://perioperative.org.ua/index.php/prtmdc/article/view/140