Gastric cancer detection using the serum pepsinogen test method.

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Oncology
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Gastric cancer (GC) is a significant cause of cancer mortality globally and in Croatia.
• Early detection of GC is crucial for improving patient outcomes and reducing mortality rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of a pepsinogen test for early gastric cancer detection.
• To determine the utility of the pepsinogen test as part of routine laboratory assessment for high-risk patients.

Main Methods:

• Prospective single-center clinical study with a median follow-up of 36 months.
• Statistical analysis included Mann-Whitney U test, logistic regression, and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis.
• Assessed pepsinogen I and pepsinogen I/II ratio as biomarkers for GC diagnosis.

Main Results:

• The pepsinogen test demonstrated an accuracy of 87.22% for GC diagnosis.
• Sensitivity was 78.12% and specificity was 90.10% using established cutoff values (pepsinogen I ≤70, pepsinogen I/II ratio ≤3.0).
• The area under the ROC curve was 0.700, indicating good diagnostic performance.

Conclusions:

• Pepsinogen testing is a valuable tool for screening populations at risk for gastric cancer.
• This non-invasive test can aid in identifying individuals requiring further diagnostic evaluation, potentially reducing unnecessary invasive procedures.