Cytological diagnoses of early gastric cancer.

To evaluate the clinical value of gastric cytology in the detection of stomach cancer, the results of cytological examinations in 417 cases of early cancer of the stomach in which cancer cell infiltration was limited to the mucosa or submucosa were analyzed. The cytological examination revealed positive for cancer cells in 93% of these cases, and therefore it is concluded that this method is not only useful but indispensable for the diagnosis of early cancer of the stomach. The gastric cytology proved to be more reliable than the endoscopic and X-ray examinations in terms of detection rate of the early gastric cancer. Among various cell collection methods for gastric cytology, which include the washing, abrasive and fibergastroscopic methods, the washing method under direct vision by the use of fiberscope showed the highest value of positivity (92.8%) in the cases of early cancer of the stomach. With the help of endoscopic guidance and biopsy techniques, the cytological examination further increased its reliability and ability in the detection of early gastric cancer. Cancer lesions even smaller than 1 cm can now be correctly diagnosed by the gastric cytology.