Preliminary results from the introduction of medical interview items on Helicobacter pylori infection with X-ray screening for gastric cancer

Abstract

In consideration of the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection, we introduced medical interview items on Hp with X-ray screening for gastric cancer. Among 1457 individuals who underwent X-ray screening for gastric cancer in Yamatotakada City in Nara prefecture between April and July 2011, 196 (13.4%) had a history of Hp testing and 92 (6.3%) had a history of Hp eradication based on the interviews. A comparison of medical interview results and X-ray findings of Hp infection showed that 51 of the 196 individuals (26.0%) had a discrepancy between the results. Considering the cases of incorrect memory among individuals, false-negative and false-positive serology results, and spontaneous eradication, X-ray findings may play a complementary role in confirming Hp infection. We plan to continue our investigation in order to determine optimal approaches for X-ray screening of gastric cancer in consideration of Hp infection.