title: The first evidence of hereditary and familial gastric cancer in Latvia: implications for prevention.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Gastric cancer is a frequent cause of cancer mortality. The prognosis of established tumor is unfavorable due to the propensity to spread and limited treatment efficiency. Therefore, prevention has a high significance. We tested a population screening approach in order to identify families with an increased gastric cancer load for further surveillance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population screening was performed by questionnaire reaching 76.6% of the population. Hereditary gastric cancer (HGC) syndrome was diagnosed if 3 mutually first-degree relatives with gastric cancer were reported in the kindred. Additional group (HGC2) of families with 2 first-degree relatives affected by gastric cancer was identified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The HGC syndrome was diagnosed in 0.11%, but HGC2 syndrome, in 0.4% probands. The gastric cancer frequency among blood relatives was 25.2% (95% CI, 20.6%-30.4%) in HGC, but 16.0% (95% CI, 13.8%-18.5%) in HGC2 families. The mean age at diagnosis of cancer was 56.9 years (95% CI, 53.4-60.3) in HGC and 62.5 years (95% CI, 60.1-64.8) in HGC2. The mean survival was 2.6 years (95% CI, 1.2-4.0).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Population screening identifies reasonable number of families with a high frequency of gastric cancer. The frequency of gastric cancer and an unfavorable course characterized by low survival justify surveillance in families with 2 or 3 first-degree relatives affected by gastric cancer. Population screening provides the age characteristics of the respective tumors in order to adjust the surveillance schedule.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Rīga Stradiņš University, Dzirciema Street 16, 1007 Riga, Latvia. vanags314@inbox.lv
authors.forename: Andrejs
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vanags
authors.forename: Ilze
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Štrumfa
authors.forename: Andris
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gardovskis
authors.forename: Arnis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Āboliņš
authors.forename: Zane
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Simtniece
authors.forename: Genādijs
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Trofimovičs
authors.forename: Jānis
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gardovskis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007844:Latvia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009386:Neoplastic Syndromes, Hereditary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010375:Pedigree; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055815:Young Adult