Introduction.

To establish a frequency of follow-up as a screening method for gastric cancer, endoscopy is proposed in patients older than 35 years with symptoms of dyspepsia, and in patients older than 40 years at high risk. The delay in performing the first endoscopy in a patient's life increases the risk of not detecting premalignant lesions or potentially preventable cancer. The aims of our study were to describe the number of patients older than 40 years with first-time endoscopy and to assess the presence of premalignant and malignant stomach lesions in patients without screening.

Methods.

Retrospective database review. Histopathology report findings in patients older than 40 years (premalignant and malignant lesions) were described. Additionally, the sociodemographic variables of patients with first-time endoscopy and the presence of Helicobacter pylori infection in the mentioned population were described.

Results.

Seventy-eight patients (23.6%) had a first-time endoscopy being older than 40 years. Helicobacter pylori was found in 44% of the patients, 25.4% of the patients had gastric atrophy, 23.1% had metaplasia, no patient had dysplasia and one patient (1.3%) had gastric adenocarcinoma.

Discusions.

The results of our study show a high number of patients without screening endoscopy. Our study highlights the importance of the use of screening endoscopy in prevention, as well as in the early diagnosis of gastric cancer, and suggests greater adherence to clinical practice guidelines.

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