BACKGROUND/AIMS: Gastric cancer is still an important health issue in Eastern Europe and Middle East, including Turkey, although its prevalence is decreasing in the western world. METHODOLOGY: In order to define the profiles of the patients operated with a diagnosis of gastric cancer in Turkey, a multicenter retrospective study was conducted. RESULTS: Six hundred and forty-eight of the 840 patients with complete data in all parameters were included in the analysis. The median follow-up time was 17.16 months (range, 6-143.63 months). Mean age was 57 +/- 11.7 (19-85). There was a recurrent disease in 42% of the tumors located at cardia, corpus or antrum, and 86% of diffuse tumors (p < 0.0001). The ratio of patients with recurrent disease was greater in stage III and IV tumors There were also greater recurrence ratios in patients with node positive (pN1-3) patients than pN0 tumors, and pT3-4 tumors than pT1 or pT2 tumors. Any recurrence was found in 48% of the tumors with lymphovascular invasion, while in 39% without lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.026). A statistically significant difference was found in the recurrence status of patients with positive/dissected node ratio of < 10% and > or = 10% (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Gastric cancer cases in Turkey are seen at a younger age, and at a higher stage. Proximal gastric cancer is seen much less than the western series. Prognostic significance of lymphovascular invasion in both univariate, and multivariate analyses is noteworthy.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Gastric cancer is still an important health issue in Eastern Europe and Middle East, including Turkey, although its prevalence is decreasing in the western world. METHODOLOGY: In order to define the profiles of the patients operated with a diagnosis of gastric cancer in Turkey, a multicenter retrospective study was conducted. RESULTS: Six hundred and forty-eight of the 840 patients with complete data in all parameters were included in the analysis. The median follow-up time was 17.16 months (range, 6-143.63 months). Mean age was 57 +/- 11.7 (19-85). There was a recurrent disease in 42% of the tumors located at cardia, corpus or antrum, and 86% of diffuse tumors (p < 0.0001). The ratio of patients with recurrent disease was greater in stage III and IV tumors There were also greater recurrence ratios in patients with node positive (pN1-3) patients than pN0 tumors, and pT3-4 tumors than pT1 or pT2 tumors. Any recurrence was found in 48% of the tumors with lymphovascular invasion, while in 39% without lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.026). A statistically significant difference was found in the recurrence status of patients with positive/dissected node ratio of < 10% and > or = 10% (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS:Gastric cancer cases in Turkey are seen at a younger age, and at a higher stage. Proximal gastric cancer is seen much less than the western series. Prognostic significance of lymphovascular invasion in both univariate, and multivariate analyses is noteworthy.