part_of part of part of has_disease_location gastric neoplasm stomach gastrointestinal disease Gastric Metaplasia true NCIt:C8361 Intestinal metaplasia of the gastric mucosa is an intermediate precancerous gastric lesion in the gastric cancer cascade from chronic gastritis and atrophy to dysplasia and adenocarcinoma. Although the risk of gastric cancer is increased in patients with intestinal metaplasia, the absolute risk is low. Subsets of patients with intestinal metaplasia may be at higher risk for progression. However, novel biomarkers are needed to better identify high-risk subgroups, and definitive studies are essential to determine the optimal interval for cancer surveillance in patients at increased risk for gastric cancer. (http://www.uptodate.com/contents/gastric-intestinal-metaplasia)