[Current situation and future of gastric cancer screening examinations: from the viewpoint of gastric X-ray screening].

In Japan, screening examinations for gastric cancer have been conducted for 50 years because of the high prevalence of this type of cancer. Gastric X-ray screening examinations have contributed to the detection early gastric cancer. In 2001, Hisamichi et al. reported that X-ray examination is a valid technique in gastric cancer screening. However, they indicated that problems in the uncertainty of accuracy and the risk of radiation exposure at a young age. On the other hand, endoscopic screening examination, pepsinogen-method and H. pylori method are not acceptable because of incident risk. Our future goals are to improve the precision of gastric X-ray examinations in cancer screening nationwide and to advocate for annual gastric screening examinations in higher risk groups. As a result, it is hoped that gastric cancer X-ray screening examinations can contribute to preventive medicine.