Abstract
We began screening by the abdominal ultrasonic method in 1984 in Kagoshima Prefecture. In the early years, it was performed only by the Kagoshima Prefecture Association of Prevention for Adult Disease. During these years, the number of examinees was less than 20,000 anually. In 1994, KAGOSHIMA KOHSEIREN Medical Health Care Centre began circuit screening by the abdominal ultrasonic method with circuit total health examination. Since then, the number of examinees has rapidly increased to 66,943 (in 2005) anually in all of Kagoshima Prefecture. In the last several years, KAGOSHIMA KOHSEIREN Medical Health Care Centre has performed about 30,000 circuit examinations and over 10,000 examinations at the Centre. We have detected cancers at a rate above 0.06% and many other diseases needing treatment. Requirements for cancer screening are safety, convenience, economy, efficiency, and effectiveness. Screening by the abdominal ultrasonic method meets the requirements for safety and convenience, but there has been an extreme lack of studies on economy, efficiency, and effectiveness. Many researchers have studied only the accuracy of screening with abdominal ultrasonic. Moreover, screening by the abdominal ultrasonic method can be used not only for cancer screening but also for health examinations. Therefore, we should discuss its usefulness, efficiency, and effectiveness in primary prevention of lifestyle diseases. In order to study these, consequency management needs to be improved and the accuracy of all screening systems examined. Accordingly, all persons engaged in screening by the ultrasonic method must recognize these qualities and must have a strong intention to improve its usefulness and accuracy.
