ABSTRACT
Gastric malignancies carry poor prognosis, because they commonly present at an advanced stage. To find out mode of presentation and its impact on the outcome and management of gastric cancer and to find if there are changes in trends of gastric malignancies over the last decade. A review of 53 patients with gastric malignancies, treated at Ibn Sina Hospital from August 2010 through August 2011. Their demographic data, pattern of clinical presentation, histopathology grading and staging, type of management and hospital mortality were studied. Statistical analysis: Data was fed to Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Means and correlations were computed where appropriate. One sample t-test was performed. Statistical significance was taken at P = 0.05. Out of 53 patients males comprise 30[56.6%] males. The peak frequency was at the age group 55-70 years. Patients from the Northern Region of Sudan constituted 34%. Adenocarcinoma comprised 43[81.3%], GIST 8[15%], lymphoma 1[1.9%] and carcinoid 1[1.9%]. Epigastric pain was the commonest symptom in 47[88.7%] patients. Smoking and snuff [Tombak] and high salt diet were found in 7.5% and 5.7% and 3.8% patients respectively. Blood group A and O was found in 22.6% and 60.4% respectively. Family cancer syndrome was found in 11.3% patients. Malignancies of the antrum constitute 27[65.85%], cardia 4[9.8%], body 7[17.1%], and whole stomach 3[7.3%] patients. There were only 6.25% clinically early cases. Potentially curative resection was attempted in 31.7%. The mean hospital stay was 12 days. Patients presented at stage III and IV comprise 30 [93.75%] out of 32 carcinoma patients. The hospital morbidity was 13[24.6%] patients and mortality 4[7.5%] patients. When compared with results from same hospital there is improvement in outcome over a decade