Gastric malignancies in Northern Jordan with special emphasis on descriptive epidemiology.
OBJECTIVE
To study the epidemiology of gastric malignancies in Jordan as a model for Middle East countries where such data is scarce.


METHODS
Pertinent epidemiological and clinicopathological data for 201 patients with gastric malignancy in north of Jordan between 1991 and 2001 were analyzed.


RESULTS
Male: female ratio was 1.8:1. The mean age was 61.2 years, and 8.5% of the patients were younger than 40 years of age. The overall age-adjusted incidence was 5.82/100 000 population/year. The age specific incidence for males raised from 1.48 in those aged 30-39 years to 72.4 in those aged 70-79 years. Adenocarcinomas, gastric lymphomas, malignant stromal tumors, and carcinoids were found in 87.5%, 8%, 2.5%, and 2% respectively. There was an average of 10.1-month delay between the initial symptoms and the diagnosis. Only 82 patients underwent   curative   gastrectomy. Among adenocarcinoma groups, Lauren intestinal type was the commonest (72.2%) and the distal third was the most common localization (48.9%). The mean follow up for patients with gastric adenocarcinoma was 25.1 mo (range 1-132 mo). The 5-year survival rates for stages I (n=15), II (n=41), III (n=59), and IV (n=53) were 67.3%, 41.3%, 5.7%, and 0% respectively (P=0.0001). The overall 5 year survival was 21.1%.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite low incidence, some epidemiological features of gastric cancer in Jordan mimic those of high-risk areas. Patients are detected and treated after a relatively long delay. No justification in favor of a possible gastric cancer screening effort in Jordan is supported by our study; rather, the need of an earlier diagnosis and subsequent better care.
Bani-Hani
Kamal-E
KE
Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, PO Box 3030, Irbid 22110, Jordan. banihani60@yahoo.com
Yaghan
Rami-J
RJ
Heis
Hussein-A
HA
Shatnawi
Nawaf-J
NJ
Matalka
Ismail-I
II
Bani-Hani
Amjad-M
AM
Gharaibeh
Kamal-A
KA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007597:Jordan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D016019:Survival Analysis