Carcinoma of the stomach in group of Iraqi patients

الملخص EN

Objective: To highlight some of the demographic, laboratory, and histopathological features of gastric cancer in Iraq.

Methods: This descriptive cross sectional study was performed in the endoscopic unit/department of medicine in Al-Yarmook teaching hospital during the period between the 1st of September 2005 to the 1st of September 2006.

Thirty patients diagnosed to have gastric cancer by upper endoscopy were included.

Biopsies were taken for histopathological study, and rapid urease test was done.

Also, blood samples were taken for gastric panel test (s.

pepsinogen, s.

gastrin-17 and ELISA for H.

pylori IgG antibodies).

Results: This study revealed that 77.33% of the patients were older than 60 years of age with mean age of was 61.73 with a male:female ratio of 2.3:1.

Smoking was a recognizable risk factor especially in male patients seen in 56.66% of the patients.

Canned and preserved food was a common eating behavior in about 53.3% of patients.

The study revealed that the presentation of the disease is usually insidious and non specific with dyspepsia and anorexia being the most common presenting feature seen in 60% of the patients.

76% of the tumors were located in the distal 2/3 of the stomach.

All the tumors except one were adenocarcinoma.

Helicobacter pylori infection was positive in 66.6% of the patients.

Atrophic gastritis diagnosed by decrease in serum pepsinogen I level was found in 50% of the patients.

Conclusions: Carcinoma of stomach is more common in old male patients with smoking habit.

Atrophic gastritis and Helicobacter pylori infection were recognized associated factors