Gastric cancer in southern Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

A total of 84 cases of primary gastric cancer were diagnosed in the histopathology laboratory of Asir Central Hospital over a five year period [1987 to 1991]. Seventy-two patients [86%] were Saudis and 12 cases [14%] were non-Saudis. The mean age of the patients included in this study was 60 years with a range of 22 to 85 years and a malefemale ratio of 4.61. Intestinal adenocarcinoma occurred in 63 patients [75%] followed by malignant lymphomas in 12 cases [14%] and diffuse adenocarcinoma in nine cases [11%]. The gastric antrum was the most common site affected [47%], followed by gastric corpus [27%], cardia [14%], and fundus [12%]. Comparisons of our findings to similar reports from other provinces of Saudi Arabia and other countries are discussed