RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of direct gastroscopy for detecting gastric cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Clinical screening by direct gastroscopy was performed for gastric cancer (GC) from September 1985 to July 1998. 3048 elderly people were screened. Their age ranged from 60 to 93 years, and 2034 of the 3084 were followed up.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Ninety-two patients with gastric cancer were discovered by gastroscopy, representing 3.02% of the screened population. The rate of early gastric cancer (EGC) was 63.04% (58/92) of all gastric cancers detected. The rate was up to 79.59% (39/49) on follow-up, and was 74.14% (43/51) in asymptomatic patients with gastric cancer. The excision rate was 88.89% for patients with gastric cancer, and 100% for patients with early gastric cancer. The 5-year survival rate was 91.89% for patients with gastric cancer, and 96.30% for patients with early gastric cancer.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Clinical screening and follow-up by direct gastroscopy in persons over 60 years of age are a safe and effective method for raising the 5-year survival and detection rate of gastric cancer, especially early gastric cancer.</p>