Gastric Cancer Screening Rate for Severely Disabled Individuals at Half the Level of Non-Disabled

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] An analysis has revealed that people with disabilities are not receiving proper stomach cancer screenings due to their disabilities. The screening rate for people with severe disabilities was only about half that of non-disabled individuals.

A research team led by Professor Shin Dong-wook of the Department of Family Medicine at Samsung Seoul Hospital, resident Kim Young-ji, and Professor Park Jong-hyuk of Chungbuk National University College of Medicine analyzed national stomach cancer screening rates over a 10-year period since 2006 using big data from the National Health Insurance Service. They examined the rates according to the presence, type, and severity of disabilities and confirmed these results. The study found that the stomach cancer screening rate for non-disabled individuals increased from 24.7% to 56.5% during this period. For people with disabilities, the rate rose from 25.9% to 51.9%.

Previously, the screening rate for people with disabilities was higher, but it reversed over the past decade. Stomach cancer is the most common cancer in South Korea, and the government supports free gastroscopy or upper gastrointestinal series every two years for citizens aged 40 to 70 through the national cancer screening program. According to the hospital, this is the first time that stomach cancer screening rates have been analyzed by disability type and severity.

When comparing relative screening rates between people with and without disabilities, people with disabilities received screenings at only 89% of the rate of non-disabled individuals. For those with severe disabilities, the relative screening rate was only about 58%. By disability type, individuals with autism had the lowest screening rate at about 36% compared to non-disabled individuals, followed by kidney disabilities (39%), brain lesion disabilities (41%), enterostomy disabilities (53%), intellectual disabilities (54%), and mental disabilities (55%).

The research team analyzed that these disparities were due to a combination of factors including accessibility to screening institutions, socio-cultural accessibility, medical staff’s awareness and attitudes, and negative perceptions and attitudes among people with disabilities themselves. They pointed out that people with disabilities often have difficulty finding transportation to medical institutions, and medical staff may overlook the necessity of stomach cancer screening because they prioritize the disability itself.

Professor Shin said, "Gastroscopy is the most effective method to prevent death from stomach cancer," adding, "Although people with disabilities can safely undergo the examination, it is regrettable that they give up or postpone it due to their disabilities." Professor Park stated, "Current national cancer screening policies lack sufficient consideration for people with disabilities," and emphasized, "Institutional support is essential to raise the national cancer screening rate for this health-vulnerable group to the level of non-disabled individuals."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.