The latest gastro panel blood test has turned a boon for high risk gastric cancer patients, according to Indian Society of Gastroenterology past president and VGM Hospital Chairman Dr VG Mohan Prasad.

Such patients can be identified and placed on surveillance protocol with annual endocsopy integrated with narrow band and zoom endoscopes, he said.

“When gastric cancer is detected early, we can remove the same by endoscopic route without surgery,” he said during the launch of the lab. It can recognise the sinister precancerous Barrett’s and erosive esophagitis in patients with reflux (less than 20 per cent of all patients with heart burn) and avoid unnecessary endoscopies.

Pune-based Onsite Diagnostic Labs India has launched GastroLab,India’s first diagnostic lab focused on digestive disorders, in partnership with leading companies from across the globe with a mission `Innovating for Health’, which include GastroPanel test, he said.

The test is a non-invasive and painless one based on blood sample. Besides assessing the condition of the stomach lining, it also detects any potential helicobacter pylori infection, atrophy of the stomach lining or lack of acid.

“With the launch of GastroLab our mission of preventing people from becoming patients by focusing on gastro disease area in India and bringing advanced technologies for early diagnosis is becoming a reality,” said Gastrolab Director Dr Ajit Kolatkar at the launch session recently.

According to Dr Francesco Di Mario, gastroenterology professor at University of Parma in Italy, helicobacter pylori has been classified as Class I carcinogen (high causality associated with gastric cancer). Atrophic gastritis should be recognised and treated early so that it does not progress to gastric cancer, he added.