ABSTRACT
Introduction: Gastric carcinoma is an aggressive malignancy with non-specific early symptoms. It is the second most commoncause of cancer-related deaths in the world.Materials and Methods: All cases of gastric carcinomas aged <40 years presented at Sri Ramachandra Institute of HigherEducation and Research from January 2016 to December 2019 were included in this study. The presenting symptoms andoutcome were collected from medical records. Pathology reports of the included cases were retrieved and associated factorswere analyzed.Results: Out of the 177 known cases of gastric carcinoma, 17 were under the age of 40 (9.6%), out of which, 10 (58.8%)were female and 7 (41.7%) were male. The number of males was higher in the patients >40 years. Fourteen cases (82.3%)were between 30 and 40 years. Three cases (17.6%) were between 20 and 30 years of age. Helicobacter pylori associatedgastritis was seen in 6 cases (35.2%). Out of the 17 cases (41.1%), 7 were poorly differentiated. The distal stomach was thesite of the tumor in 15 cases (88.2%), 2 cases were present in the gastroesophageal junction. The most common presentingcomplaints of these patients were abdominal pain, abdominal distension, vomiting associated with food intake, and constipation,with the duration of these symptoms being 1–6 months. Two patients (11.7%) had a positive family history. Three patients(17.6%) had a positive history of substance abuse. Five patients reported a history of loss of weight and appetite. One patienthad metastasis to the liver, one to the liver, bone, and lungs, and one to the liver and esophagus. Ten patients (58.8%) weretreated with gastrectomy (subtotal/distal/partial) and two patients with esophageal gastrectomy. Most of the patients were givenchemotherapy and one was given palliative chemotherapy and radiotherapy.Conclusion: Tumors rarely occur in the young, hence malignancy is not suspected and diagnosis is delayed. This leads to ahigher mortality rate as patients present with advanced stage of the disease. This study highlighted the “shift in trend” of incidenceof gastric carcinomas in younger age group. Screening and early diagnosis and treatment are essential for young patients.