Abstract
Of 542 gastric cancer patients operated in the period between 1976 and 1982, we found early gastric cancer (EGC) in 80 cases (15.3%). Patients with EGC did not show specific symptoms if compared with patients affected by gastric or duodenal peptic ulcer, gallstones, functional disorders of the upper gastrointestinal tract, or advanced gastric cancer (AGC). Single-contrast radiology showed a low sensitivity, especially in the depressed lesions. In contrast, endoscopy alone diagnosed 64 EGCs (80.0%) as malignant lesions. The five-year overall survival rate of the EGC patients was 85.9% and that of AGC patients was 43.8%. From a pathological point of view, our results confirm the usefulness of the studies on EGC for the comprehension of gastric carcinogenesis. The clinical relevance of EGC is linked to the good prognosis; however, the absence of clear symptoms and lack of alternative diagnostic methods to the endoscopy cast some doubts on the feasibility of mass detection programs.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Joossens JV, Geboers J: Epidemiology of gastric cancer: A clue to etiology.In Precancerous Conditions of the Gastro-intestinal Tract. P Sherlock, BC Morson, L Barbara, V Veronesi (eds) New York, Raven Press, 1983, pp 97–114.
Annuario di Statistiche Sanitarie Istituto Centrale di Statistica Roma. 1985
Hirayama T. Epidemiology of stomach cancer. Gann Monogr Cancer Res 11:3–91, 1971
Murakami T: Pathomorphological diagnosis, definition and gross classification of early gastric cancer. Gann Monogr Cancer Res 11:53–55, 1971
Kidokoro T: Frequency of resection, metastasis and five years survival rate of early gastric carcinoma in a surgical clinic. Gann Monogr Cancer Res 11:45–49, 1971
Johansen A: Early Gastric Cancer. A Contribution to the Pathology and to Gastric Cancer Histogenesis. Copenhagen, Denmark, Pone Petri Bogtryk/Offset A/S, 1981
Laurén P: The two histological main types of gastric carcinoma, diffuse and so-called intestinal-type carcinoma, Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand 64:31–49, 1965
Miwa K: Gastric cancer. The results of nationwide collection. Stomach Intestine 11:847–853, 1976
Peto R, Pike MC, Armitage P: Design and analysis of randomized clinical trials requiring prolonged observations of patients. Br J Cancer 35:1–39, 1977
Nagayo T: Precursors of human gastric cancers: Their frequencies and histological characteristics.In Pathophysiology of Carcinogenesis in Digestive Organs. E Farber (ed). Tokyo, University of Tokyo Press, 1977, pp 151–161
Sano R: Pathological analysis of 300 cases of early gastric cancer. Gann Monogr Cancer Res 11:81–89, 1971
Nakamura K, Sugano H, Takagi K, Fuchigami A: Histopathological study on early gastric cancer of the stomach: Some considerations on the ulcer cancer by analysis of 144 of the superficial spreading carcinoma. Gann 58:377–387, 1967
Elster K, Kolaczek F, Shimamoto K, Freitag H: Early gastric cancer experience in Germany. Endoscopy 7:5–10, 1975
Grundman E: Early gastric cancer today. Pathol Res Pract 162:347–360, 1978
Green P, O'Toole K, Weinberg L, Goldfarb J: Early gastric cancer. Gastroenterology 81:247–256, 1981
Miller G, Kaufmann M: Das Magenfrühkarzinom in Europa. Dtsch Med Wochenschr 100:1946–1949, 1975
Okabe H: Growth of early gastric cancer. Gann Monogr Cancer Res 11:67–69, 1971
Okabe H: Growth of early gastric cancer.In Early Gastric Cancer. T Murakami (ed). Tokyo, University of Tokyo Press, 1972, pp 67–79.
Martin F, Martin MS, Lagneau A: Defenses immunitaries spécifiques et non spécifiques contre les cancer intestinaux. Bases, possibilités et limites de l'immunothérapie. Abstract book. 50th Congress of the Societé Royale Belge on Gastroenterologie. Bruxelles March 16–18, 1978
Correa P: Chronic atrophic gastritis as a precursor of cancer.In Precancerous Conditions of the Gastrointestinal Tract. P Sherlock, BC Morson, L Barbara, V Veronesi (eds), New York, Raven Press, 1983, pp 145–153
Schmidt C, De Gennaro V, Pericotti S, Schiaffino E: Intestinal and diffuse type of gastric carcinoma: A survival study. Ital J Gastroenterol 15:6–9, 1983
Hauser G: Zur Histogeneses des Krebses. Virchows Arch Pathol Anat 138:482–499, 1984
Schottenfeld D, Berg JW, Vitsky B: Incidence of multiple primary cancers. II. Index cancers arising in stomach and in lower digestive system. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 43:77–83, 1969
Aste H, Amadori D, Crespi M, Pugliese G, Ravaioli M, Pacini F, Casale M: Detection des cancers gastriques superficiales dans quatre regions à taux différent de mortalité par cancers gastriques. Acta Endosc 9:129–132, 1981
Fielding WL, Ellis DJ, Jones BG, Paterson J, Powell DJ, Waterhouse AH, Brookes VS: Natural history of early gastric cancer: Results of a 10-year regional survey. Br Med J 281:965–967, 1980
Okajama K: Surgical treatment of gastric cancer with special reference to lymph node removal. Acta Med Okayama 31:369–382, 1977
Kawai K: Screening for gastric cancer in Japan. Clin Gastroenterol 7:605–622, 1978
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Biasco, G., Paganelli, G.M., Azzaroni, D. et al. Early gastric cancer in Italy. Digest Dis Sci 32, 113–120 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01297098
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01297098