Early detection of stomach cancer in mass survey

Abstract

Since Feburary 1960, mass survey for the stomach cancer has been undertaken on the population over the age of 40, using the indirect X-ray examination apparatus facilitated in the specially designed autmobile. The applicants are given 200 ml of 65% w/v barium and the fluorophotograms are taken at prone position, supine position, 45 degree ventral position in dorsoventral and right oblique position, and generally four to six films are taken for each cases. These films were examined by two different doctors and suspicious films for stomach lesions were selected for further examinations, including direct fluoroscopy, gastrocamera, gastrofiberscopy, gastric cytology and biopsy. The number of applicants amounted to 422,025 from Feburary 1960 to March 1967. During these periods, 794 cases with stomach cancer (0.19%), 5,600 cases with stomach ulcer (1.33%), 4,486 cases with duodenal ulcer (1.06%) and 547 cases with gastro-duodenal ulcer were found. Of stomach cancer, 180 cases were early stomach cancer, and the ratio of early cancer (at the annual meeting of JAPAN GASTROENTEROLOGICAL ENDOSCOPY SOCIETY in 1962 and of JAPANESE RESEARCH SOCIETY for GASTRIC CANCER in 1963, the early gastric carcinoma was defined as carcinoma of the stomach of which invasion was limited to the mucosa and submucosa) to all cases with operated stomach cancer is 27.0%. The prognosis of early stomach cancer is so excellent, that the significance of mass survey of stomach for detection of early cancer is stressed.