A COMPARATIVE-STUDY BETWEEN THE GASTRIC-MUCOSA OF CHILEANS AND ETHER DWELLERS OF THE PACIFIC BASIN

A total of 3,289 sections of 120 gastrectomy specimens from Chile were reviewed. Intramucosal cysts were found in 61.7% of the specimens, ci liated metaplastic cells in 33.3%, large vacuolated cells in 20.8% and extensive intestinal metaplasia in 51.7%. The frequency of these non- neoplastic changes was significantly higher in specimens with early ad enocarcinoma of intestinal type than in those with early adenocarcinom a of diffuse type or having a peptic ulcer. Similar results have been recorded in other inhabitants of the Pacific basin, but not in inhabit ants of the Atlantic basin. Interestingly, the gastric cancer incidenc e in the various populations studied in the Pacific basin is much high er than in those studied in the Atlantic basin. Environmental factors acting in Chile appear to have induced those non-neoplastic changes in the gastric mucosa. The question arises as to whether environmental f actors (promoters?) acting in Chile (as well as in Japan, in Hawaii an d in New Zealand) have favored the necessary non-neoplastic mucosal co nditions required for the subsequent development of gastric adenocarci noma (in particular of intestinal type).