Gastric cancer in young patients

A retrospective review of the Roswell Park Memorial Institute experience and literature review of gastric carcinoma in young adults reveals that long-term survival is rarely achieved. The primary correctable cause of failure is a very long delay in diagnosis, a result of both reluctance to initiate diagnostic studies and inaccuracy of routine upper gastrointestinal series. A high index of suspicion and liberal utilization of gastroscopy and gastric cytology combined with an aggressive surgical approach to gastric pathology would probably lead to improved survival for the young gastric carcinoma patients.