title: Retrospective studies of early gastric cancer in a high incidence area of Italy.
abstract: Frequency and characteristics of early gastric cancer (egc) were evaluated in a retrospective study of 511 surgical specimens of gastric carcinoma. We observed a total of 46 egc in 40 patients. The predominant macroscopic type was IIc, followed by I and III. On the basis of histological appearance, 25 egc were of intestinal type and 15 of diffuse type. Seventy-six per cent of egc were localized at the lesser curvature of the stomach and in particular at the pyloric antrum. Twenty-two egc were limited to the muscosal layer. no relationship was observed between macroscopic type or histological characters, and tumour staging. As Italy can be considered a high-risk country for gastric carcinoma and because this disease is in many respects similar to that observed in Japan, it seems possible to obtain a reduction of the death rate for gastric cancer by increasing, as in Japan, the number of cancers diagnosed in the early phase.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary; D011706:Pyloric Antrum / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology