Abstract
The gastric cancer detection program for inhabitants of the Omiya District (formerly Omiya City) of Saitama City, which performs checkups on an individual basis, instead of as a group health screening, was started in 1996. Until 2001, 192 cases of gastric cancer were detected by this program, with the incidence being 0.30%. The diagnostic image of each inhabitant receiving this checkup was evaluated twice (primary and secondary reading). A unique feature of this program is that inhabitants suggested by either primary or secondary reading as requiring detailed examination receive the detailed examination. Inhabitants who were rated as requiring detailed examination under this program were divided into three groups: Group A (abnormalities found by both primary and secondary reading), Group B (abnormalities found by primary reading alone), and Group C (abnormalities found by secondary reading alone). The cases of gastric cancer detected in each group were analyzed. The number of cases diagnosed with gastric cancer in each group and its percentage among all cases of gastric cancer detected in the entire study population were 123 (64.1%) in Group A, 24 (12.5%) in Group B and 45 (23.4%) in Group C. The percentage of early gastric cancers among all gastric cancers was 52.8% in Group A, 87.5% in Group B and 64.4% in Group C. The percentage of inhabitants who were rated as requiring detailed examination was as high as 23.8% in the first year of this program but decreased to 16.7% six years later. Group B cases seem to greatly affect the success or failure of this health checkup program. 6We plan to continue this program and analyze additional data.
