CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF EARLY GASTRIC-CANCER IN YOUNGER VERSUS OLDER PATIENTS IN A HIGH-INCIDENCE AREA OF NORTHERN ITALY

Aims. The relationship between the clinicopathological features of ear ly gastric cancer and age were analysed in a retrospective study of 16 8 patients. Methods. 168 patients, residents of the Region of Cremona, who had undergone surgery in the period 1978 to 1990 for early gastri c cancer were divided into two groups by age and compared. Group I (n = 89) consisted of patients less than 65 years of age and Group II (n = 79) of patients between 66 and 85 years of age. Results. There were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to the sex ratio, tumour size, depth of tumour invasion, and 5-year survival rate. Group I patients showed more lymph node involvement (p < 0.01), cancer of the diffuse histological type (p < 0.01), and cancers locate d in the gastric body (p < 0.05). Conversely, Group II exhibited more cancers of the protruded (p < 0.05) and intestinal histological type ( p < 0.01), and more adenomatous residue (p < 0.01). Conclusions. Our f indings suggest that early gastric cancer may present differently in d ifferent age groups; persons 65 years of age and older are more likely to have early gastric cancer of the slow-growing type than middle-age d patients.