title: Analysis of surgically treated gastric cancers: a tertiary hospital experience in Turkey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide, and in Turkey, GC is placed among the 10 most frequently seen cancers. However, analyzing the epidemiology of cancers and improving screening programs for cancers are not still the top priorities for healthcare professionals. This study aims to show distribution of GC based on stages in a tertiary hospital of Istanbul, Turkey.
  
  
  METHODS
  All surgically treated GC cases in the General Surgery Department, between January 2009 and January 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Data including the operation year, the demographic, clinical and histopathological parameters were recorded and statistically analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study group consisted of 111 patients. Seventy-four (66.66%) patients were men, and 37 (33.33%) patients were women with a mean age of 63.49±11.83 years. Stage 3 and 4 were the most frequently observed stages with 62 and 18 cases, respectively. Stage 3 was the most common stage found during the study period (p<0.05). During 5 years of the study period, GC was less frequently located on the cardia (n=31) when compared with other locations (n=75) for GC (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Turkey's population has generally advanced stage GC disease. New strategies are needed for achievement of early diagnosis and better outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Istanbul Medeniyet University Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Orhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Alimoglu
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Umraniye Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sisik
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Istanbul Medeniyet University Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tunc
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eren
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Umraniye Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Suat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aktas
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Umraniye Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Basak
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Istanbul Medeniyet University Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Metin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leblebici
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Umraniye Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gurhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bas
keywords: Gastric cancer; Turkey; surgery