Abstract
The Japanese Society of Gastroenterological Mass Survey has proposed a new imaging standard for screening gastric cancer by indirect X-ray examination, in which double-contrast images but not barium-filled images in the upright and prone position would be utilized. We examined 172 cases with gastric cancer that had been detected between 1998 and 2000 by the Kumamoto Prefectural Association for Adult Disease Prevention and evaluated screening images as to which were useful in the selection of candidates for further examinations. In addition, review of all images in each case was carried out in order to evaluate the role of barium-filled images. Such images taken in the upright position were used most frequently for selecting candidates for close examinations. There were many cases in which abnormalities had been indicated only by barium-filled images. Although such images have a low positive predictive value, elimination of these images from the standard procedure would result in an increased risk of false-negative results.