[Generational changes in clinicopathological characteristics of younger patients with gastric carcinoma]

The present study investigated generational changes in the clinicopathological characteristics of younger patients with gastric carcinoma (GC). The medical records of 1,420 patients who had undergone gastrectomy for GC between 1997 and 2012 were reviewed retrospectively. The patients were divided into 2 groups based on age, with 49 patients below the age of 40 and 1,371 patients above the age of 40. Moreover, the clincopathological features of the 49 patients below the age of 40 were compared with age-matched GC patients who had undergone gastrectomy from 1985 to 1996. Younger GC patients group had a higher number of women and a higher incidence of undifferentiated GC, although there was no prognostic significance between the 2 groups. Comparison of three-generational younger GC patient groups (1985-1996, 1997-2002, and 2003-2012) demonstrated no difference in survival curve between the 3 groups, although a higher incidence of undifferentiated GC was observed with time. Furthermore, in younger patients with undifferentiated GC, the last generational group (2003-2012) had a tendency towards an improved prognosis in the early postoperative period. This study demonstrated that there was no prognostic significance between GC patients below the age of 40 and over the age of 40. Chemotherapy might contribute to improved prognosis in younger GC patients.