O Johnson1, T Ersumo, A Ali. 1. Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To provide a baseline epidemiologic information on gastric cancer from Ethiopia based on hospital data. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Department of Surgery, Tikur Anbessa Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa. SUBJECT: Ninety six patients treated for gastric cancer from 1992-1996. INTERVENTIONS: Data including demographic and clinical features, pathology of the disease and treatment outcome were analysed on 96 of 125 cases of gastric cancer. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Duration of symptoms, diagnosis and stage of disease at the time of definitive diagnosis, and postoperative mortality. RESULTS: Sixty eight patients were males and 28 females. The mean age was 48.2 +/- 12.7 (range 20-73) years. The histopathology was adenocarcinoma with a Laurence intestinal type in 89 cases. Majority of the cases (90%) had advanced (stage III-IV) tumours. More than forty four per cent of cases had resectable lesions. Postoperative mortality rate was 18.6%. Twenty seven of the 70 cases operated on (57 survived the operations) could be followed up only for less than one year. CONCLUSION: This study, although based on the relative frequency in a hospital material, indicates that gastric cancer is not rare in Ethiopia. Patients appear to present late with advanced cancers.
OBJECTIVE: To provide a baseline epidemiologic information on gastric cancer from Ethiopia based on hospital data. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Department of Surgery, Tikur Anbessa Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa. SUBJECT: Ninety six patients treated for gastric cancer from 1992-1996. INTERVENTIONS: Data including demographic and clinical features, pathology of the disease and treatment outcome were analysed on 96 of 125 cases of gastric cancer. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Duration of symptoms, diagnosis and stage of disease at the time of definitive diagnosis, and postoperative mortality. RESULTS: Sixty eight patients were males and 28 females. The mean age was 48.2 +/- 12.7 (range 20-73) years. The histopathology was adenocarcinoma with a Laurence intestinal type in 89 cases. Majority of the cases (90%) had advanced (stage III-IV) tumours. More than forty four per cent of cases had resectable lesions. Postoperative mortality rate was 18.6%. Twenty seven of the 70 cases operated on (57 survived the operations) could be followed up only for less than one year. CONCLUSION: This study, although based on the relative frequency in a hospital material, indicates that gastric cancer is not rare in Ethiopia. Patients appear to present late with advanced cancers.
Authors: Joseph B Mabula; Mabula D McHembe; Mheta Koy; Phillipo L Chalya; Fabian Massaga; Peter F Rambau; Nestory Masalu; Hyasinta Jaka Journal: World J Surg Oncol Date: 2012-11-27 Impact factor: 2.754