https://onlinesciencepublishing.com/index.php/jbr <p>2518-6663</p> Online Science Publishing en-US Journal of Biotechnological Research 2518-6663 https://onlinesciencepublishing.com/index.php/jbr/article/view/1982 <p>Gastric cancer (GC) represents the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in Ecuador. Timely identification of preneoplastic lesions using standardized histological staging systems is crucial for early diagnosis and mortality reduction. This study analyzed the prevalence of premalignant gastric conditions and stratified the histological risk of progression to GC using the OLGA (Operative Link on Gastritis Assessment) system in patients at a tertiary care hospital in Guayaquil, Ecuador. A cross-sectional, retrospective study was conducted at Hospital Teodoro Maldonado Carbo. The initial population comprised 300 patients evaluated for dyspeptic symptoms between 2015 and 2019. After excluding patients with prior gastric surgery, confirmed esophagogastric neoplasms, or incomplete histopathological reports, 130 patients who underwent upper endoscopy with gastric biopsy were included. Tissue samples were processed according to the modified Updated Sydney System Protocol, with biopsies from the antrum, body, and incisura angularis, and subsequently classified according to the OLGA system. The prevalence of chronic atrophic gastritis was 18.5%. OLGA staging identified 2.3% of patients (n = 3) as high-risk stage III, with a higher frequency among individuals over 60 years. No stage IV cases were recorded. The prevalence of atrophy was lower than historical averages reported in Ecuador’s inter-Andean region and highland (Sierra) populations. The OLGA system proved feasible and clinically valuable for individualizing risk and optimizing endoscopic surveillance intervals for secondary prevention of GC.</p> Miguel Díaz A Jordan Rosero L Gabriela Veliz D Yamileth Quinteros S Eduardo Caicedo P Copyright (c) 2026 2026-10-08 2026-10-08 10 1 1 7 10.55284/jbr.v10i1.1982