title: Profiles of Epstein-Barr virus associated gastric carcinomas in Brunei Darussalam.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gastric cancer is the second most common gastrointestinal cancer and is largely attributed to Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. In addition, studies have also shown association with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in 10% of gastric cancers. This study assessed the characteristics of EBV associated gastric cancers (EBVaGC) in Brunei Darussalam.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included gastric cancers diagnosed between 2008 and 2012, registered with the Department of Pathology RIPAS Hospital, Brunei Darussalam. Clinical case notes were systematically reviewed. Histology specimens were all stained for EBV and also assessed for intestinal metaplasia and H. pylori.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were a total of 81 patients (54 male and 27 females) with a mean age of 65.8±14.8 years included in the study. Intestinal metaplasia and active H. pylori infection were detected in 40.7% and 30.9% respectively. A majority of the tumors were proximally located (55.6%), most poorly differentiated (well differentiated 16%, moderately differentiated 30.9% and poorly differentiated 53.1%) and the stages at diagnosis were; stage I (44.4%), stage II (23.5%), stage III (8.6%) and stage IV (23.5%). EBV positivity (EBVaGC) was seen in 30.9%. Between EBVaGC and EBV negative gastric cancers, there were no significant differences (age, gender, ethnic group, presence of Intestinal metaplasia, tumor locations, stages of disease and degree of tumor differentiation).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that a third of gastric cancers in Brunei Darussalam were positive for EBV, higher than what have been reported in the literature. However, there were no significant differences between EBVaGC and EBV negative gastric cancers. This suggests that the role of EBV in gastric cancer may be mostly incidental rather than any causal relation. However, further studies are required.
authors.affiliation: PAPRSB IHS Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei Darussalam E-mail : chongvuih@yahoo.co.uk.
authors.forename: Rachel Lai Siaw
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.forename: Pemasari Upali
authors.initials: PU
authors.lastname: Telisinghe
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: Muhd Syafiq
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Abdullah
authors.forename: Chee Fui
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.forename: Vui Heng
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Chong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002010:Brunei / Q000453:epidemiology; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology