Abstract

Epidemiology, pathology, diagnosis and treatment of gastric carcinoma has been revised recently. The authors analysed 3,170 cases of gastric carcinoma which were diagosed with fiberoptic biopsy or resected specimens from 1968 to 1988 in Pusan area. The specimen were collected from Pusan National University Hospital, Pusan Paik Hospital and other general hospitals in Pusan city. The results obtained were summarized as follows; 1) The time trend indicated that difference in the annual fluctuation of requency of gastric carcinoma during last 21 years was not statistically significant. But it was noticed that by comparing the following the two decades (1970~1979 and 1980~1988) the frequency of gastric carcinoma decreased in male, in middle age and in intestinal type. 2) Morbidity of gastric carcinoma increased in both sexes by aging, and this tendency was more marked in male and in intestinal type in female and in diffuse type. 3) In general the gastric carcinoma involved more frequently distal portion than proximal portion of the stomach was characterized predominantly by male, older patients and intestinal type. 4) Carcinoma with Borrmann type I and II were characterized predominantly by male, older patients and intestinal type. With Borrmann type III and IV, female, young patients and diffuse type were found more frequently. From the above results, the authors concluded that the pathological and epidemiological findings of gastric carcinoma among Koreans in Pusan area showed a transition moving from high risk to low risk area of gastric carcinoma.

• Keywords: Gastric carcinoma;Pathology;Epidemiology;Pusan area