Estimation of survival rates and related factors in patients with stomach cancer using life-table method

In the recent years various reports indicate that gastric cancer is highly prevalent in our country, it is the second most common cancer in the general population. This study was designed and carried out to determine the five-year survival rate of gastric cancer patients using actuarial life-table method. All patients with stomach cancer that registered in Fars Cancer Registry Center were enrolled in this study. Information about patients was gathered from different resources. Also, to estimate the survival rates, patient's survival status were followed till March 20, 2006. 1 to 5-year survival rates were estimated by using actuarial life-table method and compared by Wilcoxon test. 303 of 442 stomach patients were men (mean age 60.72 ±13.00 years) and 139 were women (mean age 53.29 ± 14.48 years). 266(60.2%) cases were dead during the term of investigation. The median survival time of cases was 12.6(CI: 10.76-14.44) months. The survival rates at 1 to 5-years after diagnosis were 53, 32, 25, 21 and 16 percent, respectively. Age at diagnosis, location, number of household, duration between first symptomatic date to diagnostic date, metastasis, histology grade and type of the first treatment had a significant association with patient's survival. Our findings suggest that early detection of patients in lower ages, primary stages and grades of tumor are important to increase patient's life expectancy.