It was great to see results from the PEUGIC project shared at the ESGE Days 2025 (European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy) event in Barcelona this April. Amar Srinivasa, gastroenterology research fellow, gave an oral presentation and presented a poster.
PEUGIC is a diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) cancer within 3 years of an endoscopy that did not detect cancer. The project aims to find ways to improve the endoscopy process and reduce the rate of PEUGIC.
Results from the project, which was a large national effort where over 3,000 PEUGIC cases were reviewed across England, found that 30% of endoscopies didn’t meet the necessary quality standards. These procedures were linked to harm for some patients – either because signs of cancer were missed during the initial endoscopy, or because abnormalities were spotted but not properly followed up. Patients undergoing endoscopic surveillance for other conditions were at risk when best practice was not followed. Organisational factors also played a role, with better outcomes seen in hospitals that had dedicated surveillance sessions (specific planned endoscopy sessions carried out in endoscopic resection centres, with more time allocated).
You can find out more about the PEUGIC project here.