[Gastric cancer in Chiriquí]

The authors studied the incidence of gastric carcinoma in the province of Chiriqui, from 1988 to 1993. Of a total of 249 patients with gastric carcinoma they reviewed the clinical records of 162 (65%), 118 men (73%) and 44 women (27%). The districts with the highest incidence of gastric carcinoma were David, Bugaba, San Lorenzo and Baru, and most of the patients were farmers. The most frequent symptoms were weight loss, epigastric pain, decreased appetite, a feeling of fullness and vomiting. Most of the patients had symptoms for more than 3 months when they sought medical advice. The antrum was the most frequently involved site and the majority of the tumors were Borrman III. Endoscopy and biopsy confirmed the diagnosis in 100% of the 154 patients in whom these procedures were done. Of the 111 patients operated on, 23 had a paliative procedure, 40 had a radical resection and 48 had only a laparotomy because of the extent of the disease.