Clinicopathological features and prognosis of gastric cancer in young European adults.
BACKGROUND
The aims of this study were to define the clinicopathological features and prognosis of gastric cancer in young European adults.


METHODS
Between 1990 and 2004, 603 patients with gastric cancer were enrolled in a prospective database. The findings for 51 (8.5 per cent) patients aged 45 years or less were compared with those of 457 aged between 46 and 75 years.


RESULTS
In the younger group there were significantly more women (57 versus 36.3 per cent; P = 0.004), Laurén diffuse-type carcinomas (73 versus 42.7 per cent; P < 0.001), N2-3 lymph node metastases (59 versus 38.9 per cent; P = 0.005), stage IV disease (49 versus 35.7 per cent; P = 0.085) and resections that were non-curative (36 versus 18.5 per cent; P = 0.007) than in the older patients. Actuarial survival rates in younger patients at 5 and 10 years after resection were 40 and 32 per cent respectively, similar to those in older patients (P = 0.540). Unfavourable prognostic factors associated with poor 5-year survival were the degree of gastric wall invasion (T3-4 versus T1-2; P < 0.001), lymph node invasion (positive versus negative; P < 0.001), disease stage (III-IV versus I-II; P < 0.001) and curability of resection (non-curative versus curative; P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Gastric cancer in young adults tends to be more advanced; however, when matched for stage, the prognosis does not differ from that of older patients.
Santoro
R
R
Department of Digestive Surgery and Liver Transplantation, Regina Elena Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144 Rome, Italy. santoro_roberto@fastwebnet.it
Carboni
F
F
Lepiane
P
P
Ettorre
G M
GM
Santoro
E
E
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D044465:White People