title: Differences in the prognosis of early gastric cancer according to sex and age.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few studies have compared early gastric cancer (EGC) outcomes according to sex and age.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed 2085 patients who underwent curative gastrectomy for EGC between 1989 and 2000. Prognosis and risk factors for nodal involvement were evaluated according to sex and age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Male sex and age were independent prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) but not relapse-free survival (RFS). In young (⩽55 years) patients, there were no significant differences in RFS and OS between men and women. However, older (>55 years) men had a poorer OS and older women had a poorer RFS. Young female patients had a higher proportion of gastric cancer-related death than young male patients. Female sex was an independent risk factor for nodal involvement in younger patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Young women with EGC should be more intensively treated and monitored than other patient groups and should not be treated by endoscopic resection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Do Dam
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seong Tae
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yook
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Byung-Sik
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-Gu, Seoul 05505, Korea.
authors.forename: Beom Su
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: age; early gastric cancer; prognosis; sex