Gastric carcinoma - abstract

ABSTRACT

Gastric carcinoma, the commonest cause of death from malignant disease in Trinidad, accounts for about 100 deaths annually. There has been a steady decrease in incidence of this condition over the past 10 years - a trend noted in many countries including the U.S.A. and Jamaica. Although a male to female ratio of 2 - 31 is common, it is only 1.2 in our population, the disease being sufficiently common among females to rank third as a cause of death due to malignancy. The highest incidence is between the ages 60 - 75. As in other populations the commonest clinical features are weight loss (90 percent), anorexia (84 percent) and vomiting (76 percent). In over 80 percent of patients tumour spread at the time of diagnosis or treatment contributes to a poor prognosis. It may affect any age, sex or race but its predeliction for the negro of the lower income group (over 80 percent) suggests that genetic and environmental factors may be important. This prediposition of the negro had also been noted in the United States though gastric carcinoma is quite uncommon in Africa. Elucidation of possible aetiologic factors may assist in further decreasing the incidence while greater suspicion and easy availability of diagnostic methods should result in improved survival from this common condition (AU)