Effects of screening on gastric cancer management: comparative analysis of the results in 2006 and in 2011

• Published in: Journal of gastric cancer Vol. 14; no. 2; pp. 129 - 134
• Main Authors: Kim, Yun Gyoung, Kong, Seong-Ho, Oh, Seung-Young, Lee, Kyung-Goo, Suh, Yun-Suhk, Yang, Jun-Young, Choi, Jeongmin, Kim, Sang Gyun, Kim, Joo-Sung, Kim, Woo Ho, Lee, Hyuk-Joon, Yang, Han-Kwang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) The Korean Gastric Cancer Association 01.06.2014; 대한위암학회
• Subjects: Original; 일반외과학; Early detection of cancer; Stomach neoplasms; Therapeutics
• ISSN: 2093-582X; 2093-5641
• DOI: 10.5230/jgc.2014.14.2.129

This study aimed to analyze the effect of screening by using endoscopy on the diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer. The clinicopathologic characteristics of gastric cancer were compared in individuals who underwent an endoscopy because of symptoms (non-screening group) or for screening purposes (screening group). The distributions of gastric cancer stages and treatment modalities in 2006 and 2011 were compared. The proportion of patients in the screening group increased from 45.1% in 2006 to 65.4% in 2011 (P<0.001). The proportion of stage I cancers in the entire patient sample also increased (from 60.5% in 2006 to 70.6% in 2011; P=0.029). In 2011, the percentages of patients with cancer stages I, II, III, and IV were 79.9%, 8.2%, 10.9%, and 1.1%, respectively, in the screening group, and 47.9%, 10.8%, 29.8%, and 11.5%, respectively, in the non-screening group. The proportion of laparoscopic and robotic surgeries increased from 9.6% in 2006 to 48.3% in 2011 (P<0.001), and endoscopic submucosal dissection increased from 9.8% in 2006 to 19.1% 2011 (P<0.001). The proportion of patients diagnosed with gastric cancer by using the screening program increased between 2006 and 2011. This increase was associated with a high proportion of early-stage cancer diagnoses and increased use of minimally invasive treatments.