title: Prevalence patterns of gastric cancers in Turkey: model of a developing country with high occurrence of Helicobacter pylori.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In developed countries, there has been a recent increase in the prevalence of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and cardia, along with a decrease in distal gastric cancers. Little is known regarding the prevalence of these diseases in developing countries. The aim of the present study was to evaluate changes in the prevalence of gastric adenocarcinomas in Turkey as a function of anatomic location.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were retrospectively collected from 16 centers from January 1990 to December 2000. Owing to the exclusion criteria, a total of 4065 cases of tumors of the stomach and distal esophagus were included. Tumors localized to the body, the antrum and pyloric channel were considered distal cancers. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) was also detected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients' mean age was 60.7 +/- 9 years, with a male : female ratio of 68:32. The ratio of distal/proximal adenocarcinoma was 2,1 [corrected] for the western part of Turkey and 3,8 [corrected] for the eastern part of the country (P < 0.0001), and this did not change during the 11 years. H. pylori was detected significantly less in the west compared to the east for distal tumors (65.7 vs 38.7%, respectively, P = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Turkey, a developing country with a high H. pylori prevalence, contrary to the state of developed countries, the ratio of distal versus proximal gastric adenocarcinomas has not changed. Geographical distribution should be taken into the account in projecting the changing patterns of gastric cancers.
authors.affiliation: Turkish Society of Gastroenterology, Gastric Cancer Study Group, Ankara, Turkey. serhat.bor@ege.edu.tr
authors.forename: Serhat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bor
authors.forename: Rukiye
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vardar
authors.forename: Necati
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ormeci
authors.forename: Faruk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Memik
authors.forename: Inci
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Suleymanlar
authors.forename: Dilek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oguz
authors.forename: Salih
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Colakoglu
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yucesoy
authors.forename: Kursat
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Turkdogan
authors.forename: Selim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gurel
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dogan
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yildirim
authors.forename: Vedat
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Goral
authors.forename: Gulbin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dokmeci
authors.forename: Nihat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okcu
authors.forename: Deniz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Duman
authors.forename: Ilkay
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Simsek
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Demir
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology