[Early diagnosis of stomach cancer: reality or illusion?]

Cancer of the stomach is, in Switzerland, the fourth most common malignant tumor in both sexes. The five year survival rate is between 10 and 20% in Europe; where the cancer is diagnosed early, however, the patients have a survival rate of 85-95%. Of the 305 cases diagnosed in the last 5 years, 51.5% were operatively curable. In 29.5% of the cases palliative surgery was possible and 19% were inoperable. The rate of early cancer is 12% and thereby constitutes the largest portion of the total five year survival rate. Improvement of prognosis is only realizable through early detection, but even today this prospect is largely illusory. Practicable ways of obtaining optimum results are demonstrated.