Study reveals optimal interval for stomach cancer screening

A new study has determined how often people should get screened for gastric or stomach cancer in high-risk regions of the world. The findings could help reduce deaths from gastric cancer, which is the second most common cause of cancer-related mortality.

Although the incidence of gastric cancer has decreased substantially in the western part of the world, the disease is still common in areas such as Eastern Asia, including Korea, Japan, and China.

Gastric cancer patients’ prognosis strongly depends on the stage of the disease, or how advanced it is, at the time of diagnosis. In other words, early detection and treatment can save lives.

Gastric cancer screening is often done by upper endoscopy