ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of familial gastric cancer and to improve the treatment outcome.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Clinical data of 67 patients with familial gastric cancer and 820 patients with sporadic gastric cancer in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University from 1995 to 2005 were retrospectively analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared to sporadic gastric cancer, the percentage of familial gastric cancer patients less than 45 years old was higher (34.3% vs. 14.6%). Early gastric cancer(23.9% vs. 13.8%), diffuse gastric cancer(79.1% vs. 29.0%), and lymph node metastasis (91.0% vs. 70.9%) were more common in patients with familial cancer(P<0.05). The 5-year survival rate of familial gastric cancer patients was lower than that of patients with sporadic gastric cancer(20.5% vs. 45.1%)(P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Familial gastric cancer has characteristics of younger onset age, advanced disease staging, higher positive lymph node ratio and poorer prognosis. Therefore, early diagnosis should be emphasized in the management of familial gastric cancer.</p>