Catch cancer before it starts

Singapore – The fact that the Japanese have the longest life expectancy in the world and live healthier up to old age is well documented. In fact, it was one of the central points of the flight information letter. 5 and 8, "Can Ajinomoto Co. Export Healthy Living to Japan?"

Many theories seek to explain why. Is this the Japanese diet? Is it genetic? Is it because Japanese society tends to be very united, with a lot of social and family support for the disabled? Or maybe that's the exercise? This question is particularly compelling because, after all, Japan is also known for its high stress, long working hours and high rates of smoking and drinking.

The health system, and in particular regular checkups, is a factor that certainly contributes to the healthy aging of Japan. Of course, health check-ups are available all over the world, but in Japan, mass screening is offered to all students at school, at work, in the universal health system and in local governments. While in other countries, health checks are often only requested by people particularly concerned about their health, Japan is the norm. Early detection of diseases and other health problems that result must certainly contribute to a healthier society.

Statistics seem to support this idea. For example, Japan spends only 10% of its GDP on health, compared to 17% in the United States. And despite this reduced investment, health and longevity rates are among the highest in the world.

But there's still a lot to do

However, despite the success of mass screening, the system is not perfect. One area that could be improved is cancer screening. In 2016, only about 40% to 50% of men and about 30% to 40% of women have been tested for common cancers. These rates are actually inferior than in other countries.

The reasons are not clear, but factors such as time, extra expenses, lack of urgency and the simple fear of learning the result probably contribute.

Detecting cancer at an early stage greatly increases survival over five years. This is not only important for the individual, it is important for the whole society. According to the National Cancer Center in Japan, 300,000 people die each year from cancer – 300,000 families affected by the death of a loved one. And in terms of productivity, it is estimated that 9.5 trillion yen (nearly US $ 8.5 billion) is lost for cancer-related medical leave.

AminoIndex Cancer screening: Respond to an unmet need

Ajinomoto developed the AminoIndex Cancer screening (AICS). The fact that the balance of blood amino acid concentrations in the blood has been modified to reflect a person's health has led to the development of a simple cancer screening technology that can increase the possibilities in conjunction with other screening tests.

AICS is easy for the doctor and the patient, requiring only 5 ml of blood during a routine medical visit. In men, it can detect cancers of the stomach, lungs, colorectal, pancreas and prostate, while in women, it looks for cancers of the stomach, lungs, colorectal , pancreas, breast and uterine / ovarian cancers.

The concentrations of 19 different amino acids are analyzed. Based on a historical database, the normal concentration profile of a healthy individual is known, as is the profile of each type of cancer tested. By comparing the patient's profile to the database, cancers can be detected effectively.

Beyond cancer

The amino acid concentration profile of the body changes in response to a wide variety of diseases, not just cancer. As a result, Ajinomoto Co. has also developed the AminoIndex Screening for lifestyle-related diseases (AILS), which uses the same underlying technology to screen for "lifestyle-related diseases" such as diabetes. Other additional therapeutic areas are studied in which AILS can be useful.