62 Is Weight Loss Alone an Appropriate Indication for Urgent Gastroscopy?

Aim To assess if patients with weight loss alone have significant pathology identified at gastroscopy. Method 94 consecutive Urgent Suspicion of Cancer (USOC) referrals undergoing gastroscopy were studied over a 6-month period. General, and specific upper GI symptoms, as well as endoscopic findings, were recorded. Results 68% of patients were female. 98% of referrals mentioned weight loss, 94.5% of these patients had concurrent symptoms. 77.5% of patients had a positive finding. 5% (n = 5) had a diagnosis of malignancy. Of the 5 diagnosed with malignancy, none had presented with symptoms of weight loss alone. Conclusions Our practice is in accordance with NICE guidelines. Despite perception, OGD for weight loss alone does not occur commonly. In the current COVID-19 pandemic, it is even more important to vet patients appropriately to prevent unnecessary aerosol generating procedures. We cannot extrapolate from this pilot study whether weight loss alone, is a good indicator for detecting upper GI malignancies, though all cases of malignancy had other specific alarm symptoms.