Imaging methods in diagnostics of gastric cancer

Gastric adenocarcinoma is the second most common cancer in the world. In Asia , gastric cancer accounts for 31% of all cancer incidence cases in men and for 22% in women. Because of aggresive screening programs, gastric cancer is often found at an earlier, potencially curable stage. Indeed, even with modern diagnostic and treatment methods, only 10% of patients in the West are alive within five years of diagnosis. Improvements in overall survival of patients with gastric cancer can only be achieved by earlier diagnosis and by tailor therapeutic strategies that are based on histologic tumor type, tumor location, tumor stage at time of presentation and physiologic status of the patient. The role of endoscopy, endoscopic ultrasound, multidetector CT, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography in the diagnosis, treatment, staging and follow-up of patients with gastric cancer is emphasized.

KEY WORDS:
Key words: gastric adenocarcinoma, diagnostics, CT, magnetic resonance