Health checkups lead to diagnose 17 per cent of cancer patients who visited key hospitals designated for its treatment across Japan for the first time in 2007, a recent study has shown.

The figure ranges from 7 per cent to 24 per cent by prefecture, according to the study released yesterday by the state-run medical facility's Center for Cancer Control and Information Services.

A detailed analysis is necessary to look into regional differences, the center said, noting that there may be gaps between areas in consultation rate and the hospitals' examination capabilities.

The center analyzed data on about 327,800 cancer patients who visited 305 out of all the 351 hospitals designated for cancer treatment in the country's 47 prefectures during 2007 for the first time.

The number is almost half the actual figure of newly diagnosed cancer patients as separate data show that an estimated 650,000 people were found to have cancer in 2004, the center said.

By age, those in their late 60s to 70s were the most out of those found to have cancer. Cancer of stomach was most prevalent in men at 17 per cent, followed by large intestine, throat and lung, prostate gland, and liver.

For women, cancer of the mammary gland was the most at 22 per cent, followed by large intestine, womb, stomach, and throat and lung.

Source : www.business-standard.com