A clinicopathological study of gastric cancer with special reference to age of the patients: an analysis of 1,630 cases.

A series of 1,630 patients with gastric cancer was reviewed with special reference to their ages. The overall resectability rate was 84.6%. With increasing age, there was also an increase in: the male-to-female ratio, the frequency of tumors located in the distal third of the stomach, and the degree of differentiation of the carcinoma (p less than 0.01). There was no age-related association to: tumor size, early gastric cancer of 30-40%, macroscopic classification, histological staging, or symptomatology. The 5-year survival rates did not differ significantly among the various age groups. From 1980 to 1984, clinical characteristics were evaluated in 58 patients under 40 years of age and in 39 patients 80 years of age and older. Preexisting medical illnesses and postoperative complications were more frequent in the aged group; however, there were no operative deaths in either group. In conclusion, although there are several distinct properties depending on the age of the patients, very elderly as well as young patients can be successfully treated.