Mass screening for liver cancer based mainly on abdominal ultrasound was begun in major cities of Hokkaido, Japan, in November 1981, to enable early detection and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Serum alpha-fetoprotein levels were also measured to minimize false negative studies. Examinees included those who sought liver disease screening as well as high risk individuals: hepatitis B surface antigen carriers and those with a past or current liver disease, history of blood transfusion, family history of liver cancer, and more recently those with positive anti-hepatitis C antibodies. The examination was carried out on each Saturday and Sunday as one round, and by February 1992 48 rounds had been performed. A total of 8090 individuals were investigated, and HCC was detected in 91 with a detection rate of 1.12%. This rate was 1.6% among 5684 individuals who were selected for high risk. Cumulative rates of survival among these patients were 79.0% at 1 year, 43.8% at 3 years, 19.3% at 5 years and 15.4% at 7 years. These survival rates were comparable with those for the patients with HCC diagnosed during follow-up of chronic liver disease and treated at our hospital. The cost for detecting one HCC patient in this programme was 2,660,000 yen (approximately US$25,000), which was less than those for some other types of cancer in a similar setting. Considering the high detection rate in this programme, we feel that similar programmes should be encouraged and supported.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1746.1994.tb01256.xDOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

liver disease
12
mass screening
8
hepatocellular carcinoma
8
hokkaido japan
8
liver cancer
8
high risk
8
detection rate
8
liver
5
screening hepatocellular
4
carcinoma experience
4

Similar Publications

Use of the FHTHWA Index as a Novel Approach for Predicting the Incidence of Diabetes in a Japanese Population Without Diabetes: Data Analysis Study.

JMIR Med Inform

January 2025

Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.

Background: Many tools have been developed to predict the risk of diabetes in a population without diabetes; however, these tools have shortcomings that include the omission of race, inclusion of variables that are not readily available to patients, and low sensitivity or specificity.

Objective: We aimed to develop and validate an easy, systematic index for predicting diabetes risk in the Asian population.

Methods: We collected the data from the NAGALA (NAfld [nonalcoholic fatty liver disease] in the Gifu Area, Longitudinal Analysis) database.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Evaluation of Lyso-Gb1 as a biomarker for Gaucher disease treatment outcomes using data from the Gaucher Outcome Survey.

Orphanet J Rare Dis

January 2025

Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital, Heinrich- Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany.

Background: Patients with Gaucher disease (GD) require continual monitoring; however, lack of specific disease biomarkers was a significant challenge in the past. Glucosylsphingosine (lyso-Gb1) has been shown to be a reliable, key, specific, and sensitive biomarker for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment response in clinical studies of patients with GD. We evaluated the change in lyso-Gb1 concentration over time following enzyme replacement therapy in patients with confirmed GD using real-world data from the Gaucher Outcome Survey disease registry.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Recent advances in oncology research have highlighted the promising synergy between low-dose radiation therapy (LDRT) and immunotherapies, with growing evidence highlighting the unique benefits of the combination. LDRT has emerged as a potent tool for stimulating the immune system, triggering systemic antitumor effects by remodeling the tumor microenvironment. Notably, LDRT demonstrates remarkable efficacy even in challenging metastatic sites such as the liver (uveal) and brain (cutaneous), particularly in advanced melanoma stages.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) have revolutionized the treatment of cardiometabolic diseases, extending their therapeutic applications far beyond glycemic control in type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity. This editorial synthesizes key milestones, from the discovery of GLP-1 to recent clinical trials highlighting the pleiotropic effects of GLP-1RAs in addressing the interconnected spectrum of cardiometabolic conditions, with a focus on cardiovascular, renal, and hepatic benefits. In addition, as GLP-1RAs continue to reshape the management of cardiometabolic disease and global public health, we discuss future challenges to better elucidate their mechanisms of cardiometabolic protection and maximize their therapeutic potential.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Langerhans cell histiocytosis in children: the value of ultrasound in diagnosis and follow-up.

BMC Med Imaging

January 2025

Department of Ultrasound Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350005, China.

Background: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease, most prevalent in children. Ultrasound is a noninvasive, cheap, and widely available technique. However, systematic elucidation of sonographic features of LCH and treatment related follow-up are relatively few, resulting in overall underestimation of the clinical value of ultrasound in diagnosing and monitoring LCH.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!