ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SERUM GASTRIN-LEVELS, GASTRIC-ACID SECRETION AND AGE IN EARLY GASTRIC-CANCER

This study evaluated the effect of gastric acid secretion and serum ga strin response on tumor differentiation for early gastric cancer accor ding to patients' age, We investigated the association between serum g astrin levels, gastric acid secretion and the histologic types of 335 early gastric carcinomas limited to the mucosal and submucosal layers in comparison with 450 gastric and 197 duodenal ulcers, The preoperati vely examined basal acid output, maximal acid output and peak acid out put after administration of tetragastrin and serum gastrin levels befo re and after ingestion of a test meal were determined, Patients with d ifferentiated cancer and duodenal ulcer showed a significant negative correlation between gastric acid secretion and age, while the former g roup also had a significant positive correlation between serum gastrin levels and age, On the other hand, patients with undifferentiated can cer did not show any such correlation between gastric acid and age, bu t showed a significant positive correlation between serum gastrin, int egrated gastrin response and age, Patients with gastric ulcer did not show any such correlations, These data suggest that both low acid secr etion and endogenous hypergastrinemia, especially in the elderly, may play an important role in differentiated and undifferentiated gastric carcinomas.