Answer:

Endoscopy is considered the gold standard for diagnosing and detecting various digestive diseases, including early-stage cancer. Endoscopic systems allow doctors to identify lesions, tumors, polyps, precancerous tissues, and very small ulcers (just a few millimeters) located beneath the mucous membrane or flat lesions.

Doctors generally recommend cancer screenings for healthy individuals starting at age 40, even without symptoms. Those experiencing persistent or recurring symptoms like abdominal pain, heartburn, acid reflux, nausea, vomiting, difficulty swallowing, bloody stools, or black stools may also be advised to undergo an endoscopy.

Doctor Phu performs a gastroscopy using the Fujifilm 7000 endoscopy system. Photo illustration: Tam Anh General Hospital

During the procedure, if any abnormalities are detected, the doctor can magnify the image for further evaluation and take a tissue biopsy. This helps determine if the lesion is benign, precancerous, or cancerous. Endoscopy is also indicated for monitoring chronic diseases, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

With advancements in supporting equipment, endoscopy can also assist in treatment. Small lesions can be removed during the endoscopy itself, increasing treatment effectiveness or even eradicating cancer. The method also helps control bleeding caused by stomach ulcers or ruptured esophageal varices, perform esophageal variceal ligation, cauterize bleeding points from prolonged radiation therapy, remove polyps, and retrieve foreign objects from the digestive tract.

Doctors can perform therapeutic techniques like mucosal resection or submucosal dissection to remove early-stage cancers through endoscopy. In cases where the digestive tract is narrowed due to tumors or cancer that cannot be surgically removed, doctors can place an endoscopic stent to relieve pressure, allowing patients to eat and drink normally without the need for a gastrostomy.

You should take your mother to see a gastroenterologist for an endoscopy or other necessary tests as prescribed by the doctor.

Dr. Ho Quang Phu

Digestive Endoscopy Unit

Tam Anh General Clinic, District 7