Positive Result in Gastroscopy... Is It Not a Bad Thing?

March 5th marks Gyeongchip (驚蟄), the day when frogs awaken from their winter hibernation.

Since ancient times, it has been believed that after Usu and Gyeongchip, the frozen waters of the Daedong River thaw, signaling the arrival of full-fledged spring. Along with Gyeongchip, the spring breeze blows and the warmth of new life begins to sprout. March is a time to refresh both body and mind, which have been contracted during winter, and to fully welcome spring.

For this reason, every year in March, when spring begins, the number of people visiting hospitals for health checkups increases.

Endoscopic examination at Daedong Hospital.

Mr. A, who set health as his goal for this year, also underwent a national health checkup at a nearby hospital to welcome spring. Since he was eligible for cancer screening this year, he had a gastroscopy for the first time in his life. A few days later, upon receiving the test results by mail and seeing that the gastroscopy result was marked as positive, he was startled and revisited the hospital where he had the examination.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. A had become familiar with the term "positive" when receiving infection test results, so he assumed that a positive result from the gastroscopy was a bad sign. He even suspected cancer and lost sleep over it. However, after consulting with the hospital, Mr. A confirmed that he had misunderstood the meaning and was able to feel relieved.

In tests conducted to detect pathogens, such as for COVID-19, a positive (陽性) result means that the measured value exceeds a certain threshold, indicating infection. Conversely, a negative (陰性) result means no reaction or a value below the threshold, indicating no infection.

Basic blood or urine tests conducted during national health checkups also use positive to indicate abnormalities and negative to indicate no abnormalities.

However, the results of gastroscopy and colonoscopy differ. When abnormal proliferation of cells in the stomach or colon forms a lump called a tumor, a biopsy is performed. If the tissue is cancerous, the term malignant (惡性), using the character for "bad" (惡), is used. Conversely, if it is not cancerous, the term benign (良性), using the character for "good" (良), is used.

Benign tumors, except for a few special cases, generally do not pose a threat to life. However, follow-up observation may be necessary depending on the medical staff’s judgment. Malignant tumors invade surrounding tissues and threaten life, and are referred to as cancer (癌).

Not only tumors but also tests to check for the presence of antibodies, such as for hepatitis B, use different meanings for positive and negative. If antibodies against the virus are present, the result is positive; if antibodies are absent, the result is negative. In the case of a negative result, since there are no antibodies to defend against the pathogen, vaccination is required.

Kim Yoon-mi, head of the Comprehensive Health Checkup Center at Daedong Hospital and a specialist in family medicine, said, “Many people confuse the terms because they usually think positive is the opposite of negative, as in Mr. A’s case. However, the meanings of negative and positive vary depending on the type and purpose of the test.”

She added, “The national health checkup program aims to diagnose health risk factors and diseases early and to promote healthy lives and public health by enabling timely treatment. Therefore, eligible individuals should definitely participate in the checkup to confirm their health status and manage their health.”

The health checkups conducted by the government mainly include general health checkups and cancer screenings. General health checkups are conducted every two years for health insurance subscribers employed at workplaces, heads of households in local communities, household members aged 20 or older, dependents, and medical aid recipients aged 20 to 64. This year, those born in even-numbered years are eligible, with the exception that non-office workers undergo checkups annually.

Cancer screenings cover the most common cancers in Korea: stomach, breast, colon, liver, and cervical cancers. For stomach cancer, individuals aged 40 and above undergo either an upper gastrointestinal series or gastroscopy every two years. For colon cancer, individuals aged 50 and above undergo an annual fecal occult blood test, and those with positive results can choose between colonoscopy or double-contrast barium enema.

For liver cancer, high-risk individuals aged 40 and above receive liver ultrasound and blood tests twice a year, once in the first half and once in the second half of the year. Women aged 40 and above can receive mammography every two years, and women aged 20 and above can receive cervical cytology tests every two years for breast and cervical cancer screenings, respectively.

Other health checkups conducted by the government include medical aid life transition health checkups, student health checkups, and infant and toddler health checkups.

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