Gastric cancer in Iceland: a retrospective study of resected gastric specimens in a high-risk country during 30 years (1960-1989).
The world-wide incidence of gastric cancer is decreasing, especially in high-risk populations such as the Icelanders. We examined retrospectively 1,040 specimens of resected gastric cancers from a 30-year period, 1960-1989. The decrease in incidence in both sexes involved mainly the largest histological group, the intestinal-type tumours. In males there was also a decrease in diffuse tumours but in females these remained relatively unchanged. Tumours of the antrum and the corpus decreased in both sexes. In males there was a significant increase in tumours of the cardia and most of these were of the intestinal type. In females there was a minor increase in tumours of the cardia, all of which were of the intestinal type. An increase in incidence of tumours of the cardia concomitant with a decrease in incidence of tumours in other parts of the stomach suggests a difference in aetiological factors. The death risk for patients with tumours of the cardia was 59% higher than that for those with tumours in other parts. The death risk following gastric resection was not significantly different when patients with intestinal-type tumours and diffuse tumours were compared.
Jónasson
L
L
Department of Pathology, University of Iceland, Reykjavík.
Hallgrímsson
J
J
Sigvaldason
H
H
Olafsdóttir
G
G
Tulinius
H
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007055:Iceland; D007414:Intestinal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology