Objective: We aimed to characterize patterns of use of complementary and alternative (CAM) therapies on patients with intractable neurodegenerative diseases and their caregivers.
Methods: We sent questionnaires to 1,406 patients with subacute myelo-optico-neuropathy (SMON), amyotorophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Parkinson related disease, or spino-cerebellar degeneration (SCD). We also send questionnaires to the 1,406 caregivers of these patients. The participants were asked to answer questions about current use of Annma/Massage/Shiatu, acupuncture, Zyudoseifuku, Chinese medicine or Supplementary food. Other questions including reasons for the use, subjective effectiveness of the CAM and subjective wellness were also asked.
Results: 33.7% of patients and 30% of caregivers responded to the questionnaires. Anna/Massage/Shiatu and Chinese medicine were most frequently used by patients (60.8%), and 51.3% of them answered that these therapies were effective. The caregiver’s response showed supplementary food and Anna/Massage/Shiatu were most frequently used (42.5%), and 35.9% of them answered that these were effective.
Conclusion: The present study showed that use of CAM was 20.5% in patients with intractable neurodegenerative diseases and 9.8% among caregivers when calculated using collection rates. Annma/Massage/Shiatu was most frequently used and was regarded effective on subjective wellness both in the patients and caregivers.

We began gastric mass survey at our hospital in May, 1980. During 3 years and 8 months since then, (May, 1980-December, 1983) we performed screening examinations to 16, 341 people by indirect radiography, and checked 2, 824 cases (17.3%) for thorough examination. Among these cases, 2, 083 (73.8%) received endoscopic examination actually, and 55 cases of gastric cancer were discovered. The discovery rate of gastric cancer was 0.336 per cent.
35 cases of these 55 gastric cancer were operated in the surgical department of our hospital. 34 cases were resected (rate of resection was 97.1%) and 33 cases were resected curatively (rate of curative resection was 94.3%). These results were better than that of gastric cancer cases from out-patient clinic of the same period. The results of cases from out-patient clinic of our hospital were: total number of cases 321, resected cases 254 (79.1%), curative resection 189 cases (58.9%), respectively.

During the eleven years from January 1978 to December 1988, we experienced 1, 287 cases of gastric cancer, hospitalized in the surgical department of Tsuchiura Kyodo Hospital which is located in the southern agricultural district of Ibaraki Prefecture.
Among these 1, 287 cases, 1, 233 patients were operated on. Gastric resection was performed in 1, 059 cases including 337 cases of total gastrectomy with the resection rate of 85.9 percent (1, 059/1, 233). In 863 cases, resection gave histologically satisfactory results, and our curative resection rate was 70.0 percent (863/1, 233). Direct mortality rate was 2.35% in all operated cases and 1.32% in resected cases.
The five-year survival rate over the period from 1978 to 1983 was 57.7% in all resected cases and 69.3% in curatively resected cases.
Annual follow up observation showed increases in resection rate, curative resection rate, and five-year survival rate. However, there were no remarkable changes in the rate of total gastrectomy, rate of combined resection of other organs, and degree of lymph nodes dissection.
The main factor contributing to the improvement in the results of surgical treatment of gastric cancer was the increase in the detection rate of cancer in relatively early stages, through gastric mass survey or total check-up in the asymptomatic stage.