title: [Comparative study on clinical characteristics of gastric carcinoma between young and elderly patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the clinical characteristics of gastric cancer between young and elderly patients,and bring forward corresponding countermeasures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical characteristics, treatment and prognosis between 79 young (<or= 45 years old) and 120 elderly (>or= 65 years old) patients were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The constituent ratio of gender between young and elderly group was not significantly different (P=0.226). There was no particularity of early symptom in young patients, but they had shorter course of disease (165 d vs 400 d, P=0.029) and more frequent inferior part of cancer (49.4% vs 41.7%, P=0.038) as compared to elderly patients. There was significant difference between two groups in pathological stage ratio (P=0.027). The median total survival time of young and elderly patients was 1006 d and 530 d respectively, which was not significantly different (P=0.108). Furthermore, median survival time of young and elderly patients after radical resection were 1197 d and 919 d respectively, and the difference was not significant as well (P=0.242).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Characteristics of young patients with gastric cancer are lower incidence, larvaceous symptoms, more malignancy and quick development, which still remain general features of gastric cancer. By correct therapy, the efficacy of above young patients is similar to elderly patients. The key to improve prognosis is to further fortify cognition for gastric cancer and elevate early diagnostic rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Abdominal Surgery, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China. lwxsbs@medmail.com.cn
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiao-wei
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Da-zhi
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yuan-xiang
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: You-qing
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Zhan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D015996:Survival Rate