A Prospective Study of Incidence of Gastric Carcinoma in Patients Presenting with Dyspepsia in a Tertiary Care Hospital

ABSTRACT

Gastric carcinoma often present with nonspecific symptoms like dyspepsia. Early diagnosis of gastric carcinoma is of utmost importance to reduce mortality. Our aim was to detect gastric carcinoma in patients presenting with dyspepsia symptoms for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and to study the incidence of stomach carcinoma related to factors like age, alcohol and smoking. Methods: This prospective study was a study of 130 patients with dyspepsia attending OPD of general surgery, F. M Medical College, Balasore, during the period from Jan 2018 to Jan 2019. A detail history was taken and clinical exam was carried out. Patients were selected according to the inclusion criteria. All patients underwent routine investigations, endoscopic evaluation & biopsy. Results: Out of the 130 patients subjected to gastric endoscopy, 13 (10%) of them had gastric carcinoma. Mean age of the patient in the study was 54.7 yrs. Majority of the patients were males 60% (n - 78) and females were 40% (n - 52). Gastric carcinoma was predominantly seen in males - 69% and females - 31%. Gastric carcinoma had strong association with smoking 100%, which showed peak in incidence in the fifth and sixth decade. Conclusion: High index of suspicion by clinicians and availability of endoscopic facilities may help to detect early lesions, especially in elderly patients with dyspepsia.