Abstract
In order to clarify the clinicopathological features of gastric cancers detected by mass screening survey, 30 patients with gastric cancer detected by mass survey were compared to 52 outpatients with gastric cancer, who were operated on at the department in a recent 5-year period. Average age at the operation was 57.5 or 65.4 years old in mass survey group or outpatient group respectively. Mass survey gastric cancers were common in youngers. Both gastric cancers were predominant in men. About 80% of mass survey cancers were in an early stage, 90% of those were absolute curative resection cases, and none was noncurative resection. However, 77% of outpatient gastric cancers were in an advenced stage, 67% were curative resection cases, and 25% were absolute noncurative resection cases. Compared to outpatient cancers, mass survey gastric cancers were characterized by some prognostic factors such as small size of the lesion; slight depth of invasion; and low lymph node metastatic rate (14% versus 48% in the others). The 5-year survival rate was also as favorable as 100% in mass survey cancers versus 48% in the others.
It is concluded that the mass screening survey of gastric cancer is very effective, even if its cost and time are taken into consideration. Further agressive for this would be mandatory.
