[Populational research of gastric cancer in digestive symptomatic patients, from 1996 to 2000].
BACKGROUND
Gastric cancer is the first cause of death due to malignant tumors in Chile. Its mortality rates have stabilized in the last two decades and its prognosis is closely associated to the degree of tumor invasion at the moment of surgery.


OBJECTIVE
To study the frequency of gastric cancer among symptomatic patients subjected to an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy at a secondary care health center.


METHODS
All upper gastrointestinal endoscopies performed to patients derived from public primary care clinics were recorded.


RESULTS
In the study period, 4,145 endoscopies were done to 818 men and 2,128 women. Seventy one percent of patients were aged over 40 years of age. Fifty one carcinomas and one lymphoma were detected. Of these, 10 tumors were incipient. Thirty one patients were operated on and in 22 a total gastrectomy was performed. One patient, that required an esophageal resection, died.


CONCLUSIONS
Gastric cancer was detected in 1.2% of symptomatic adult patients subjected to an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.
Calvo Belmar
A
A
Unidad de Endoscopia, Centro de Referencia de Salud San Rafael, La Florida, Santiago, Chile. acalvob@entelchile.net
Pruyas
M
M
Nilsen
E
E
Verdugo
P
P
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology