BACKGROUND AND AIM The selection of a high-risk group of gastric cancer is important. This study was performed to compare the efficacy of non-invasive gastric cancer screening through the measurement of pepsinogen (PG) I/II ratio and endoscopic screening using histologic criteria (Meining's risk index for gastric cancer) in Korean patients.

METHODS Included in the study were 460 gastric cancer patients and 460 control cases who underwent upper endoscopy between June 2003 and July 2008 at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital. Serum PG I/II ratio and histologic characteristics were evaluated for each participant. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to compare the predictive power for gastric cancer of both the PG II/I ratio (the inverse form of PG I/II ratio) and the histologic gastric cancer risk index.

RESULTS A higher PG II/I ratio was significantly associated with a higher risk for gastric cancer (odds ratio of highest quartile for cancer vs. lowest quartile, 3.51; 95% confidence interval, 2.29-5.36) in the multivariate logistic model. The validity (in terms of calibration and discrimination) of the PG-including multivariate logistic model was comparable to the histologic gastric cancer risk index model. The results were similar regardless of the staging of the cancer, Lauren's histologic classification, and the location of the cancer.

CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that non-invasive measurement of serum PG I/II ratio is as effective as Meining's histologic gastric cancer risk index in predicting gastric cancer occurrence.