抄録
Objective: Helicobacter pylori infection is a major cause of gastric cancer, and it is important to efficiently identify H. pylori-infected individuals in gastric cancer screening with gastric imaging and gastric cancer risk stratification tests. We evaluated the distribution of H. pylori infection statuses based on double-contrast upper gastrointestinal barium X-ray radiography (UGI-XR) findings obtained through the Comprehensive Health Checkup System.
Methods: Patients who underwent UGI-XR for gastric cancer screening between April 2016 and December 2019 were included in this study. One gastroenterological specialist prospectively classified the patients into three groups based on background gastric mucosal findings on UGI-XR: suspected H. pylori non-infection (group N), suspected active infection (group A), and suspected past infection (group P).
Results: Of the 971 patients (489 men; mean age, 49.8 years) who underwent UGI-XR, 799 (82.3%) were categorized into group N, 84 (8.6%) into group A, and 88 (9.1%) into group P. Of the 84 patients in group A, one was under observation because of old age, and the other 83 required close examination. Of those 83 patients, 44 (53%) were treated for H. pylori eradication, 18 (12%) did not undergo H. pylori eradication, and 21 (25%) had an unknown course. Finally, 43 of the 44 patients who underwent eradication had successful results.
Conclusion: Our results show that it is possible to screen for H. pylori infections with UGI-XR findings and that introducing infected patients to eradication therapy is important for promoting gastric cancer prevention.
