Screening is the search for disease, such as cancer, in people without symptoms. In countries such as Japan, where stomach cancer is very common, mass screening of the population has helped find many cases at an early, curable stage. This may have reduced the number of people who die of this disease, but the studies were not designed to prove this.

Studies in the United States have not found mass screening for stomach cancer to be useful because this disease is not that common. On the other hand, people with certain stomach cancer risk factors may benefit from screening. If you have any questions about your stomach cancer risk or about the benefits of screening, please ask your doctor. Some of the tests that could be used for screening, such as upper endoscopy, are described in the section "How is stomach cancer diagnosed?"

Because mass screening for stomach cancer is not done in the United States, most people with this disease are diagnosed when they have certain signs and symptoms that point to the need for medical tests.

Last Medical Review: 11/03/2009
Last Revised: 11/03/2009