M. Maeta et al., GASTRIC-CANCER IN THE YOUNG, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO 14 PREGNANCY-ASSOCIATED CASES - ANALYSIS BASED ON 2,325 CONSECUTIVE CASES OF GASTRIC-CANCER, Journal of surgical oncology, 58(3), 1995, pp. 191-195
Clinicopathologic features of gastric cancer in young women were analy
zed with special reference to pregnancy (P). Among 2,325 consecutive p
atients, there were 152 young patients under 40 years of age (57 males
and 95 females), and 14 P-associated cases were identified. The male-
to-female ratio was 1.7:1.0 on the whole, but 1.0:1.7 in the young gro
up with more females predominating as the age of patients decreased. A
mong characteristics of gastric cancer in the young females, we noted
a significantly higher frequency of both Borrmann type 4 cancer and po
orly differentiated adenocarcinoma with the scirrhus type of growth an
d peritoneal metastasis. These characteristics were more pronounced in
the P-associated cases. Although we were unable to determine the mech
anism for these tendencies, our findings suggest that the development
and growth of gastric cancer in young women may be influenced by their
natural, biological and hormonal circumstances. The prognosis of the
young women with or without associated pregnancy was good afer curativ
e surgery. Both early detection of gastric cancer and subsequent poten
tially curative surgery are the best ways to obtain good survival for
young women, as is the case for members of other age and sex groups. (
C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.