FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q1. What time should I go to your clinic for the medical checkup? How long does it take?

You can come to our clinic after AM 8:30 for your medical checkup.
If you have thorough medical checkups, it usually takes 3 to 4 hours.
If you have the Medical Checkup designed to find Lifestyle-related Disease, it usually takes 2 to 3 hours.
If you have Regular Checkups or Specific Medical Checkup (Tokutei Kenshin), it usually takes 1 to 2 hours.
However, it may take shorter or longer depending on your examination items.
We will provide instructions when you make a reservation for medical checkups. See also the written guide you will receive by post.

Q2. Can we pay by credit cards?

You may use the following credit cards.


Q3. Can I have the Examination fo find Cervical Cancer when I am having my period?

In the Examination fo find Cervical Cancer, some cells of a cervical portion of the womb near the entrance are taken.
Then, whether or not there is any abnormally changed cell is examined. If cells are mixed with blood, the precision of the examination is affected, and the reliability of the checkup result deteriorates. As it is desired that you have medical examinations under conditions of no blood, we do not recommend to have medical checkups when you are having your period.

Q4. Which would you recommend between upper digestive tract X-ray inspection and endoscopy?

In upper digestive tract X-ray inspection, your body is dynamically moved in the examination, and it may impose a burden on your lower limb. If you have reached an advanced age or have difficulty in moving your body due to the pain in your lower back, we recommend endoscopy. Do not hesitate to ask us if you have any questions. ※ Endoscopy is optional and you have to make a reservation for the endoscopy in advance. (You will be charged the additional fee of 3,240 Yen (tax inclusive))

Q5. Can I take medication or drugs on the day I have the medical checkup?

Please follow the instruction given by your doctor in charge. Please also refer to the written guide.

Q6. Can I have medical examinations during pregnancy?

You cannot have endoscopy or medical examinations involving an X-ray examination (e.g., chest X-ray, upper digestive tract X-ray inspection, mammography). You can have the other medical examinations.

Q7. When can I receive the written documents about the medical checkups?

We send the set of documents by post about two weeks in advance of the reserved date.

Q8. Do you report the results of option medical examinations to my workplace?

Basically, we send the medical examination result to your home address by post. We will never report the details or results of the medical examinations to your workplace without your consent.

Q9. What is a tumor marker?

The term "tumor marker" is a generic name for a marker substance of cancer cells. By performing the medical examinations, it become possible to locate the cancer on your body. Moreover, it become possible to examine the properties of the cancer cell or the possibility of the recurrence. Such information is helpful for the diagnosis or treatment. However, many tumor markers increase regardless of the cancer. This means that a tumor marker examination is not sufficient for proper diagnosis on its own. Still, regular examinations of a tumor marker enable us to detect an increase in the value of the tumor marker. Such detection may serve as important information to detect a malignant tumor.

Q10. How do you examine a tumor marker?

We examine a tumor marker by blood test. It is possible to draw blood to examine a tumor marker at the same time as when we draw your blood for the medical checkups.

Q11. I am concerned about cancers. What tumor marker tests should I have?

We provide the following tumor marker tests.
・PSA (prostate specific antigen/prostate cancer)
・CA19-9 (pancreatic duct cancer・bile duct cancer)
・CA125 (ovarian cancer・Fallopian tube cancer・cervical cancer)
・CA153 (mammary gland cancer・uterine cancer・Oliverian cancer)
・CYFRA21-1 (lung squamous cell carcinoma)
・CEA (Stomach・Large Intestine・Pancreas・Biliary Tract Cancer)
・AFP (Liver Cancer)
※Set for Male Patient (CA19-9/PSA/CEA/AFP/CYFRA21-1)
※Set for Female Patient (CA125/CA153/CA19-9/CEA/CYFRA21-1/AFP)
For more details, see the list of the optional medical examinations.

Q12. How do you perform Pepsinogen Test?

You do not need additional blood drawing. It is possible to perform Pepsinogen Test with the blood drawn for the medical checkups.

Q13. What can we see by Pepsinogen Test?

Pepsinogen is a kind of digestive enzyme. By examining the amount of Pepsinogen in your blood, the presence of atrophic gastritis can be determined.

Q14. Is it true that Pepsinogen Test is sufficient to detect a stomach cancer and it is not necessary to drink barium sulfate?

Pepsinogen is a digestive enzyme generated in the cells of your stomach. By measuring the amount of pepsinogen in the blood, whether or not atrophic gastritis is present in your stomach or the degree of the atrophic gastritis (if present) can be examined. As stomach cancer emerges from atrophic gastritis, the risk of stomach cancer can be examined by Pepsinogen Test. However, the presence of a stomach cancer is not directly examined by Pepsinogen Test. We recommend you to have upper digestive tract X-ray Inspection or endoscopy together with Pepsinogen Test.

Q15. Isn't visual inspection or physical examination sufficient (to detect a breast cancer)?

If we can find a breast cancer at an early stage (smaller than 2 cm), about 90 percent can be cured by treatment. However, a breast cancer at an early stage cannot reliably be detected only by the visual inspection and physical examination. We recommend you to have mammography or Echography.

Q16. Which should I have between echography and mammography?

As each of the echography and mammography has advantages in detecting particular types of breast cancer, it is ideal to have both the echography and the mammography in combination. If you have only one of the echography and mammography, such particular types of breast cancer can be missed. The prevalence of breast cancer in Japanese females reaches its peak at 40's. If you have any sib who has experienced a breast cancer or have not given any birth in the past, we recommend you to have both echography and mammography.

Q17. Can I choose only one of he echography and mammography?

If you are under 40, we recommend you to have echography as your mammary gland is developing. If you are 40's or 50's who have not gone through the menopause, we recommend you to have echography and mammography alternately each year. If you are over 50 and have gone through the menopause, we recommend you to have mammography. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare recommend you to have mammography once every two years if you are over 40. Our clinic recommend you to have echography if you are under 40 or does not wish to have mammography. For more details, please ask a public health nurse when you have a medical examination by interview on the day you have the medical checkup.

Q18. Is mammography painful?

You may feel pain if you are about to start your period under the influence of female hormone. You can rest assured that our female radiographer gradually compresses your breast in a very careful manner.

Q19. How often should I have medical checkups?

If the cancer is rapidly developing, it is not sufficient to have medical examinations once every two years. It is ideal to have medical checkups at least once a year.

Q20. When should I have medical examinations?

If you have not gone through the menopause, medical checkups are affected by female hormone. It is generally said that you can ideally have your medical checkups 2 to 3 days after the periods.

Q21. I think my breast is small. Can I have mammography examinations?

The size of the breast does not matter in the mammography examinations.
※We do not run mammography examinations if you are pregnant or wearing a pacemaker or have gone through a mastectomy or breast-enlargement surgery. Please have mammary ultrasonography.

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