Prevalence of Subjects at a High or Very High Risk of Gastric Cancer in Japan

BACKGROUND/AIMS The presence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection represents a high-risk state of gastric cancer, but the risk is even higher in gastric atrophy. H. pylori stool antigen (HpSA) and serum pepsinogen (PG) tests are useful tools for screening present infection and gastric atrophy, respectively. To determine the prevalence of subjects at a high risk (HpSA+ or PG+) or very high risk (PG+) of gastric cancer in Japan, we applied the two tests to a general population. METHODS The subjects included 311 volunteers. We used Meridian HpSA ELISA for the HpSA test and Pepsinogen RIA Beads for the PG test. PG I at 50% of those older than 40 years). Half of the subjects older than 60 years were PG+. CONCLUSIONS In Japan, more than 50% of general population aged >/=40 years is at a high risk of gastric cancer, and half of the population aged >/=60 years is at a very high risk.