Secular changes in the clinical manifestation and pathologic pattern of early gastric cancer in Taiwan

To investigate whether there has been a time trend change in the percentage of early gastric cancer to gastric cancer and the clinicopathologic features of early gastric cancer in Taiwan, we reviewed 208 patients diagnosed between 1964 and 1992. Patients were divided into group I from 1964-1980 (n = 106) and group II from 1981-1992 (n = 102). The percentage of early gastric cancer among total gastric resections in group II (14.7%) did not differ from group I (12.7%; p = 0.19). Epigastralgia (58.2%) was the most common complaint; 11.8% (12/102) of cancers in group II were incidentally detected by endoscopy. Endoscopy provided a better diagnostic aid than did radiology. Tumors were frequently located in the antrum (50.9%) with a mean diameter of 2.8 cm. Small cancers of less than 1 cm in diameter were more prevalent in group II (37.3%) than group I (10.4%; p < 0.001). Cancers of the elevated type (17.8%) were uncommon in contrast to depressed ones (82.2%; p < 0.001). The frequency of mucosal carcinoma (51.0%) was similar to submucosal carcinoma (49.0%). Mucosal carcinoma had less lymph node metastases (3.1%) than submucosal carcinoma (12.2%; p < 0.05) with an overall frequency of metastases of 7.5% (14/186). The five-year survival rate of group I (91.7%) was not statistically different from group II (94.6%). We concluded that, except for the symptomatology and the ability to diagnose, the clinicopathologic features of early gastric cancer were similar between these two time periods. Repeated investigation of suspicious lesions and endoscopic screening on asymptomatic subjects may increase the rate of detection and thus guarantee a favorable outcome.