title: [Cancer screening].
abstract: The purpose of cancer screening is to widen the difference between morbidity and mortality of the target cancer. Since 1983 cancer screening has been supported by the Japanese government. Initially it covered gastric and cervical cancer with lung, breast and endometrial cancers supported from 1987 and colorectal cancer in 1992. Since 1998 support for cancer screening has been transferred to local government. It is generally accepted that the uptake of screening services is too low. Estimates for Japan suggest that at best 30% of the eligible population accept the services. In other parts of the world screening is more widely accepted, for example, 67% for breast cancer and 79% for cervical screening in the USA. Barriers within Japan for increasing screening are complex and include, legal, ethical, financial, technical infrastructure, data related matters and the level of understanding and education of the general public. In 2000 the MHLW conducted an evaluation of cancer screening in terms of usefulness and effectiveness. It concluded that fair or better evidence for reduction in mortality existed for cervical cancer (cytology), breast cancer (mammography with clinical examination for women aged > or = 50 years), colorectal cancer (faecal occult blood test), gastric cancer, lung cancer and liver cancer. As a step towards improving screening services and their uptake by the general public a new Research Centre for Cancer Prevention and Screening was established at the National Cancer Centre in October 2003. This and other initiatives will build on the progress of the past 20 years but it is generally agreed that there is still have a long way to go.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Urology, University of Tsukuba, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akaza
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsuruo
authors.forename: Nagahiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saijo
authors.forename: Saburo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sone
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Isonishi
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohashi
authors.forename: Tomotaka
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sobue
authors.forename: Hidetoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamanaka
authors.forename: Mamoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: Masakazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eguchi
authors.forename: Kazuto
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Bob
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Milsted
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008327:Mammography; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009780:Occult Blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D011859:Radiography; D012042:Registries; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control