title: Early gastric cancer: 52 cases of combined experience of two south Australian teaching hospitals.
abstract: Fifty-two patients with early gastric cancer are described. At presentation, the average age was 60 years and the male:female ratio was 3:2. The patients had presenting symptoms indistinguishable from those due to benign peptic ulcer disease. Endoscopic examination with multiple biopsies was the most accurate means of diagnosis, with an overall 93% detection rate. The tumours were located predominantly along the lesser curve (75%) and in the antrum (64%), with ulcerated or depressed lesions most common and flat lesions least common. Approximately 58% of lesions were of intestinal type, submucosal invasion was seen in 45% and lymph node metastases had occurred in 7% of cases. Lesser curve and antral lesions were more likely to be ulcerated. Ulcerated lesions were on average, the same size as non-ulcerated lesions. Body lesions were larger than antral lesions and lesions which had spread to the submucosa were larger than mucosal lesions. Diffuse-type lesions were more likely to be ulcerated than intestinal-type lesions and dysplasia was more commonly associated with intestinal-type lesions than with diffuse or mixed-type lesions. The crude 5-year survival rate was 80%, but only one death was associated with a recurrence of gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Chia
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Langman
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hecker
authors.forename: W Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Lew
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rowland
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Fock
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D005756:Gastritis / Q000473:pathology; D005773:Gastroscopy; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013270:Stomach / Q000473:pathology; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*