Evaluation of a Phone Call Reminder Strategy in the Surveillance of Patients with Gastric Precancerous Lesions Lost to Follow-Up

Background: Surveillance of gastric precancerous lesions (GPL) may reduce gastric cancer (GC)-related mortality, but some patients with GPL are lost to follow-up.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a "phone-call" strategy in surveillance of the lost to follow-up patients.

Patients and methods: Among all the patients diagnosed with GPL (atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, low-grade dysplasia) between 2000 and 2015, we identified those who should undergo surveillance endoscopy according to the current guidelines. They were contacted by telephone and invited to undergo endoscopy with gastric biopsies for histological analysis.

Results: Among 535 patients with GPL, 134 were contacted. Sixty-two (46%) could not be joined, 36 did not have endoscopy for other reasons, and finally, 36 patients (22 males, median age 65 years) were included. After the median time interval of 57 months between 2 endoscopies, 18 patients showed stability, 11 regression, and 7 progression of GPL, including 1 patient who developed GC.

Conclusion: Despite several telephone calls, only one-third of the contacted patients could be brought to surveillance endoscopy. Most of the patients showed stability of GPL, but 1 progressed to GC and could be successfully treated.