Analysis of surgically treated gastric cancers: a tertiary hospital experience in Turkey

OBJECTIVE: Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide, and in Turkey, GC is placed among the 10 most frequently seen cancers. However, analyzing the epidemiology of cancers and improving screening programs for cancers are not still the top priorities for healthcare professionals. This study aims to show distribution of GC based on stages in a tertiary hospital of Istanbul, Turkey. METHODS: All surgically treated GC cases in the General Surgery Department, between January 2009 and January 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Data including the operation year, the demographic, clinical and histopathological parameters were recorded and statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The study group consisted of 111 patients. Seventy-four (66.66%) patients were men, and 37 (33.33%) patients were women with a mean age of 63.49±11.83 years. Stage 3 and 4 were the most frequently observed stages with 62 and 18 cases, respectively. Stage 3 was the most common stage found during the study period (p<0.05). During 5 years of the study period, GC was less frequently located on the cardia (n=31) when compared with other locations (n=75) for GC (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Turkey’s population has generally advanced stage GC disease. New strategies are needed for achievement of early diagnosis and better outcomes.