title: The current status of an FDG-PET cancer screening program in Japan, based on a 4-year (2006-2009) nationwide survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to survey the 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) cancer screening program conducted in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  The "FDG-PET cancer screening program" included both FDG-PET and positron emission tomography with computed tomography (PET/CT) with or without other combined screening tests that were performed for cancer screening in asymptomatic subjects. A total of 155,456 subjects who underwent the FDG-PET cancer screening program during 2006-2009 were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 155,456 subjects, positive findings suggesting possible cancer were noted in 16,955 (10.9 %). The number of cases with detected cancer was 1,912 (1.23 % of the total screened cases, annual range 1.14-1.30 %). Of the 1,912 cases of detected cancer, positive findings on FDG-PET were present in 1,491 cases (0.96 % of the total number of screened cases). According to the results of further examinations, the true positive rate for subjects with suggested possible cancer (positive predictive value) was 32.3 % with FDG-PET. Cancers of the colon/rectum, thyroid, lung, and breast were most frequently found (396, 353, 319, and 163 cases, respectively) with high PET sensitivity (85.9, 90.7, 86.8, 84.0 %, respectively). Prostate cancer and gastric cancer (165 and 124 cases, respectively) had low PET sensitivity (37.0 and 37.9 %, respectively). The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) clinical stage of cancer found with the FDG-PET cancer screening program was mainly Stage I.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The FDG-PET screening program in Japan has detected a variety of cancers at an early stage. However, several cancers were found in repeated FDG-PET cancer screening program, indicating the limitation of a one-time FDG-PET cancer screening program. The value of the FDG-PET cancer screening program is left to the judgment of individuals with regard to its potentials and limitations.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan. ryogominamimoto@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Ryogo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Minamimoto
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Senda
authors.forename: Seishi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jinnouchi
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Terauchi
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murano
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iinuma
authors.forename: Kimiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uno
authors.forename: Sadahiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishizawa
authors.forename: Eriko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tsukamoto
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iwata
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oguchi
authors.forename: Rumi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nakashima
authors.forename: Tomio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inoue
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D003625:Data Collection; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18