Cancer Res Treat.  2009 Jun;41(2):59-66.

Public Awareness of Gastric Cancer Risk Factors and Disease Screening in a High Risk Region: A Population-Based Study

• Oh DY
• Choi KS
• Shin HR
• Bang YJ

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study involved a population-based survey to provide evidence of public awareness of risk factors of gastric cancer and to investigate attitudes for the screening of gastric cancer in the South Korean population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a nationwide random selection method, 2014 subjects were enrolled in the study between 5 September 2006 and 25 September 2006. RESULTS: In terms of the awareness of risk factors, awareness was scored as the percentage of the probability of developing gastric cancer when a subject had a particular risk factor. For the risk factors, stress ranked highest with a score of 73.5%, followed by chronic gastritis (score of 72.1%), gastric ulcer (score of 71.2%) and a previous gastrectomy history (score of 68.7%). Other factors included a diet of charred foods (score of 67.3%), alcohol use (score of 65.3%), salty diet (score of 65.1%), history of smoking (score of 64.3%) and Helicobacter pylori infection (score of 57.5%). Subjects believed that 60.4% of all gastric cancers were preventable by lifestyle modification and the subjects believed that regular screening could prevent 72.1% of all gastric cancers. However, 54% of subjects did not receive regular screening and the most common reason for not undergoing screening was a lack of symptoms. CONCLUSION: Public education about the risk factors of gastric cancer and of lifestyle modifications and the importance of regular screening regardless of the presence of symptoms should be emphasized to reduce gastric cancer mortality in South Korea.

Keyword

Stomach cancer; Public health; Prevention

MeSH Terms

Diet
Gastrectomy
Gastritis
Helicobacter pylori
Life Style
Mass Screening
Public Health
Republic of Korea
Risk Factors
Smoke
Smoking
Stomach Neoplasms
Stomach Ulcer
Trout
Smoke

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Perception of self-risk of gastric cancer.

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  Fig. 2 Awareness of attributable and preventable risks in gastric cancer. An 'attributable risk' associated with factor 'A' is the risk of gastric cancer development associated with the presence of this risk factor. However, during the development of gastric cancer, several risk factors are likely to be involved. 'Preventable risk' associated with factor 'A' is the probability of preventing gastric cancer development by eliminating factor 'A' (100%: gastric cancer can be prevented totally if risk factor 'A' is removed; 50%: 50% of gastric cancer can be prevented if risk factor 'A' is removed).

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  Fig. 3 Perception of curability of gastric cancer by early diagnosis.

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