[Early stomach cancer in our clinical sample]

In the period from 1971 to 1980 we studied 11 650 patients undergoing endoscopy of the stomach. We found in 427 patients a gastric cancer. In 63 patients we found an early cancer, according to 14% of all gastric cancers. The main symptoms were pain and loss of appetite. In 34% of the patients the duration of complaints was more than 1/2 year. In more than 50% the early cancer was located in the distal part of stomach. In 52% we observed the ulcerative lesion of the gastric mucosa. The histological findings were in 52% the intestinal type and in 72% the diffuse type of early gastric cancer. The precise diagnosis of an early cancer based on the histological examination of the gastric wall after gastric resection, with the exception of loopectomy and polypectomy with well-defined diagnosis of an early cancer. By the aid of preventive examination of patients with so-called precancerous condition of the gastric mucosa we see a possibility to increase the detection of early gastric cancer.