The demand for cancer mass screening was studied by a survey conducted in a city of Gifu Prefecture using a mailed self-administered questionnaire. Subjects (n = 300) were randomly selected by age groups from among residents aged 40 years or over, and the response rate was 65.1% (n = 192). Eight subjects were excluded from analysis because of missing data. The demand for mass screening was much lower in both sexes in the age groups 70 years old or over (stomach: 51.6%, lung: 45.2%, colon: 41.9%) than in younger age groups (stomach: 85.8%, lung: 77.8%, colon: 80.8%). Demand level of housewives and persons without regular occupation were lower than those in other occupational groups. Persons with prior experience of receiving screening at their work-site had higher demand for screening than others. A multivariate analysis of screening for stomach cancer showed that prior experience of screening is the most important factor predicting demand for the next screening.