Gastroscopy is currently an important tool for the detection and confirmation of upper gastrointestinal diseases, which can improve the detection rate of early gastric cancer, and at the same time can be treated under gastroscopy, eliminating the pain of opening the abdomen, and has the advantages of fast recovery and less trauma. The five-year survival rate of early gastric cancer can reach 90%-95% after surgery, but if it is allowed to develop to advanced stage, the treatment effect is not so satisfactory. Currently, the more effective method to detect stomach cancer is gastroscopy screening. Since it is difficult to see a doctor in China and most of the medical resources are consumed in late treatment, health checkups and health management are a long way to go. Facts show that annual gastroscopy is very beneficial for early detection of gastric cancer, especially for the following high-risk groups: 1. patients with chronic atrophic gastritis must undergo gastroscopy; 2. patients over 40 years old who have gastric cancer or other digestive tract cancers in their family; 3. people with previous history of gastric diseases, especially chronic gastric ulcer, gastric polyp, atrophic gastritis and gastrectomy for more than 10 years. At present, many people are afraid of gastroscopy, mainly because of the misunderstanding of gastroscopy. Misconception 1 Gastroscopy is painful Some patients will have fear when they hear about gastroscopy, fearing that there will be pain. In fact, gastroscopy is generally not painful and the main discomfort is nausea and the feeling of not being able to breathe out. Due to the patient’s fear and the reflex when the gastroscope is inserted through the pharynx into the esophagus, most patients will have a temporary breath-hold, which is like a person who cannot swim falling in the water and will involuntarily hold his or her breath. When the patient cannot hold his breath until he exhales, a feeling of nausea will occur. Therefore, it is crucial that the patient does not hold his or her breath during gastroscopy and that he or she breathes evenly. Furthermore, we can use “painless” gastroscopy for patients who are highly fearful, fat, smokers, or who are easily nauseated when brushing their teeth, even if they are more reactive and have a high level of discomfort during gastroscopy. Painless” gastroscopy is based on the traditional gastroscopy, using a soft and slim electronic gastroscope, coupled with good preoperative anesthesia, so as to achieve the effect of “painless” examination. Myth 2 X-barium meal examination can replace gastroscopy Some patients are afraid of gastroscopy and ask for X-barium meal examination instead of gastroscopy, in fact, there are many advantages of gastroscopy compared with X-barium meal examination. First of all, gastroscopy is performed under direct vision and can directly see superficial lesions in the esophagus, stomach and duodenal mucosa, such as superficial ulcers, atrophy, erosion, vascular lesions and bile reflux in the gastric mucosa. Secondly, gastroscopic biopsy of the gastric mucosa can be obtained, which is important for the diagnosis of gastric mucosal atrophy, intestinalization, atypical hyperplasia and gastric cancer, while the biopsy specimen can also be tested for Helicobacter pylori. These findings in gastroscopy can be of great help in the treatment of gastric diseases, so in most cases X-barium meal examination cannot replace gastroscopy. Myth 3 Young people do not need gastroscopy “smoking, alcoholism, liking pickled and smoked foods, staying up late, irregular diet” – these are the habits of life and diet that many young people have, which may bring trouble to the stomach and even eventually induce gastric cancer, and only through early diagnosis can we talk about Only through early diagnosis can we talk about early treatment. The need for gastroscopy in young people depends on the patient’s symptoms, the local incidence of gastric cancer and the efficacy of the treatment. Gastroscopy is needed when patients have alarming symptoms including gastrointestinal bleeding or anemia, dysphagia, wasting or recurrent vomiting, regardless of age. Whether gastroscopy is performed immediately for those with other dyspeptic symptoms depends on the local incidence of gastric cancer. In addition, some young patients with poor treatment results also need gastroscopy to clarify their conditions so as not to delay treatment.