title: Gastric carcinoma--a current clinical profile.
abstract: During 1983, 128 patients with gastric carcinoma presented to Groote Schuur Hospital, 71% of them were from the coloured racial group. The commonest symptoms were dyspepsia or pain (88%), and the average delay in presentation was 3 months. Barium meal, endoscopy, biopsy, and cytology were not completely sensitive in making the diagnosis. Most patients had advanced disease: nearly one-third had disease so advanced that surgery was not considered and a further third had a palliative gastrectomy. Surgery was considered to be curative in 16 cases (12.5%). The overall 24-month survival rate was 19%, which contrasted with a survival of 88% when curative resection was possible.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D044465:White People