Korean J Intern Med.
2015 Nov;30(6):747-758. 10.3904/kjim.2015.30.6.747.
Is screening and surveillance for early detection of gastric cancer needed in Korean Americans?
- Affiliations
-
- 1Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
- 2Biomedical Research Institute, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Korea.
- 3Department of Internal Medicine, Ulsan University Hospital, Ulsan, Korea.
- 4Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. jooha@medicine.washington.edu
- KMID: 2381579
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2015.30.6.747
Abstract
- The incidence rate of gastric cancer in Korean Americans is over five times higher than that in non-Hispanic whites, and is similar to the incidence of colorectal cancer in the overall United States population. In Korea, the National Cancer Screening Program recommends endoscopy or upper gastrointestinal series for people aged 40 years and older every 2 years. However, the benefit of gastric cancer screening in Korean Americans has not been evaluated. Based on epidemiologic studies, Korean Americans appear to have more similar gastric cancer risk factors to Koreans as opposed to Americans of European descent, though the risk of gastric cancer appears to decrease for subsequent generations. Therefore, in accordance with recent recommendations regarding screening for gastric cancer in Korea, endoscopic screening for gastric cancer in Korean Americans should be considered, especially in those with known atrophic gastritis/intestinal metaplasia or a family history of gastric cancer. In the future, additional studies will needed to assess whether a screening program for gastric cancer in Korean Americans will result in a survival benefit.
