Histopathologic and Anatomic Correlation ofPrimary Gastric Cancers

Gastric cancer is the second most common cancer and the second cause of death due to cancer worldwide. Gastric adenocarcinoma is the most common fatal cancer in Iran. Recently, some studies have reported a marked proximal shift in the distribution of gastric cancer. An analytic cross-sectional study was done on 350 patients with gastric cancer in Rasoul-e-Akram, Firoozgar and Haft-e-Tir Hospitals during 1992-2001. Mean age was 59.9±0.69 years and there were 230(66%) males and 120(34%) females. Histopathologic type of gastric cancer was correlated with its location (P<0.001, r=0.291). Adenocarcinoma was mostly found in proximal and lymphoma in the middle of stomach. Crude number of new cases with gastric cancer is increasing per year. Mean age and sex percentage among our patients are similar to the reports from high risk areas in the world. Proximal shift of gastric cancer observed in this study was similar to new studies. Comparative studies of the pattern of gastric cancer in various populations of our country may help in better understanding of environmental and genetic or racial factors contributing to the evolution of gastric cancer.