| Theme |
Malignant Tumors in Patients with End-Stage Renal Failures |
| Title |
Preventive cancer screening in dialysis patients |
| Author |
Junichi Kaide |
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University |
| Author |
Yosuke Ito |
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University |
| Author |
Nobuyuki Ura |
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University |
| [ Summary ] |
The high incidence of malignant tumors in chronic dialysis patients has been reported. The prevalence of mass examinations for stomach, colon, breast and cervical cancer has been recognized to be useful for the reduction of mortality in Japan. Consequently, these medical screening needs must be applied to chronic dialysis patients. Due to the extremely high incidence of renal cell carcinoma in dialysis patients, an annual abdominal ultrasound or CT scan is strongly encouraged for all patients. Also, because of the high rate of HCV infection among chronic dialysis patients in Japan, abdominal ultrasounds are particularly useful for patients at risk of hepatic cancer.
Effective preventive medical screening can reduce medical expenses through early detection of malignant diseases, however, we must recognize the cost-effectiveness of each examination and mental and / or physical stress in cases which are false positive. |