[Early screening of cancer of the stomach in Japan].

Gastric cancer is the most frequent malignant tumor reported in Japan, and increasing effort is being directed towards its early diagnosis. Radiographic imaging is considered to be the main exploratory investigation for screening of this cancer, fibroscopy being reserved for cases with suspected lesions on radiology. In the series studied, 40% of cases of gastric cancer were diagnosed at an early stage, a non-negligible result when one considers that the 5-year survival rate is better than 95% at this stage.