Clinicopathological profile and long-term outcome in young adults with gastric cancer: multicenter evaluation of 214 patients

Unveiling the Younger Face of Gastric Cancer: A Comprehensive Review of Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Prevention Strategies

Gastric cancer poses a significant global health challenge, with high incidence and mortality rates each year. Despite advancements in screening and treatment, late detection remains a critical issue. Efforts to address this include raising public awareness and implementing targeted screening programs for high-risk populations. The increasing incidence of gastric cancer among younger individuals underscores the need for lifestyle adjustments and targeted interventions to mitigate risks and improve outcomes. Understanding the various factors contributing to gastric cancer risk is essential for effective prevention strategies, including Helicobacter pylori eradication, lifestyle modifications, and regular screening for high-risk groups. A comprehensive approach addressing both individual behaviors and broader societal factors is crucial in the fight against gastric cancer. This review provides an in-depth examination of gastric cancer epidemiology, risk factors, preventive measures, and screening initiatives, with a particular focus on the rising incidence among younger demographics. Emphasizing the importance of early detection and intervention, the review highlights the need for proactive screening to improve patient outcomes and reduce mortality rates. By addressing these aspects comprehensively, this paper aims to enhance the understanding of gastric cancer dynamics, particularly its incidence among younger individuals, and to inform future strategies for prevention and control.

Metastasis patterns and prognosis in young gastric cancer patients: A propensity score‑matched SEER database analysis

BACKGROUND

Whether young patients with metastatic gastric cancer (GC) had distinct metastasis patterns and survival outcomes from older patients remains controversial. The aim of the present study was to explore the metastasis patterns and prognostic factors in young patients and evaluate the survival outcome in comparison to their older counterparts.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We identified patients with metastatic GC in the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) database from 2010 to 2015. The patients were divided into two groups based on age at diagnosis: younger (≤40 years old) and older (>40 years old). We employed the chi-squared test to compare the clinicopathological characteristics between the two age groups. Furthermore, we conducted survival analyses using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses. To balance disparities in baseline characteristics, we employed propensity score matching (PSM).

RESULTS

We identified 5,580 metastatic GC patients from the SEER database, with 237 (4.2%) classified as younger and 5343 (95.8%) as older patients. A total of 237 pairs of patients were generated after adjustment by PSM. Patients in the younger group exhibited a higher proportion of bone-only metastases and a lower proportion of liver-only metastases compared with patients in the older group. Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that youth was an independent protective factor for overall survival (OS) before and after PSM, but not for gastric cancer-specific survival (GCSS). Among the younger group, patients with liver-only metastasis demonstrated the best prognosis, whereas patients with lung-only metastasis exhibited significantly worse survival outcomes compared with liver-only metastases, even comparable to that of bone metastasis.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with the older group, the metastatic GC patients in the younger group exhibited more aggressive tumors but better prognoses. The metastasis pattern and its effect on the prognosis of GC varied by age group.

Clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of adolescents and young adults with gastric cancer after gastrectomy: a propensity score matching analysis

Background

Gastric cancer (GC) among adolescents and young adults (AYAs, aged 15-39 years) has limited data on clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis. This study aimed to compare the clinicopathological characteristics, perioperative outcomes, and long-term outcomes of AYAs and older adults (OAs, aged > 39 years) with GC who underwent curative gastrectomy.

Methods

From January 1994 to June 2019, patients with GC undergoing curative gastrectomy were enrolled and divided into AYA group and OA group. The clinicopathological characteristics, treatment variables, perioperative outcomes and long-term outcomes were compared between the two groups, both before and after propensity score matching (PSM).

Results

AYAs had fewer comorbid conditions and were more likely to be females, have normal carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels, poorly differentiated tumors with perineural invasion, and receive adjuvant chemotherapy. AYA patients had lower incidence of postoperative complications and shorter length of postoperative hospital stay than OA patients. No significant differences in postoperative 30-day or 90-day mortality were observed between AYAs and OAs, both before and after PSM. In the entire cohort, AYAs had similar median overall survival (OS) to OAs. However, in the PSM cohort, AYAs had significantly shorter median OS. Young age (15-39 years) was an independent risk factor for OS in GC patients following gastrectomy.

Conclusion

The clinicopathological characteristics were significantly different between AYA and OA patients with GC. AYA patients with GC had worse long-term prognosis than OA patients, and young age was an independent risk factor for OS in GC patients following gastrectomy.

Survival benefit of younger gastric cancer patients in China and the United States: A comparative study

BACKGROUND

The impact of racial and regional disparity on younger patients with gastric cancer (GC) remains unclear.

AIM

To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics, prognostic nomogram, and biological analysis of younger GC patients in China and the United States.

METHODS

From 2000 to 2018, GC patients aged less than 40 years were enrolled from the China National Cancer Center and the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database. Biological analysis was performed based on the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Survival analysis was conducted via Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULTS

A total of 6098 younger GC patients were selected from 2000 to 2018, of which 1159 were enrolled in the China National Cancer Center, and 4939 were collected from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database. Compared with the United States group, younger patients in China revealed better survival outcomes (P < 0.01). For race/ethnicity, younger Chinese cases also enjoyed a better prognosis than that in White and Black datasets (P < 0.01). After stratification by pathological Tumor-Node-Metastasis (pTNM) stage, a survival advantage was observed in China with pathological stage I, III, and IV (all P < 0.01), whereas younger GC patients with stage II showed no difference (P = 0.16). In multivariate analysis, predictors in China involved period of diagnosis, linitis plastica, and pTNM stage, while race, diagnostic period, sex, location, differentiation, linitis plastica, signet ring cell, pTNM stage, surgery, and chemotherapy were confirmed in the United States group. Prognostic nomograms for younger patients were established, with the area under the curve of 0.786 in the China group and of 0.842 in the United States group. Moreover, three gene expression profiles (GSE27342, GSE51105, and GSE38749) were enrolled in further biological analysis, and distinctive molecular characteristics were identified in younger GC patients among different regions.

CONCLUSION

Except for younger cases with pTNM stage II, a survival advantage was observed in the China group with pathological stage I, III, and IV compared to the United States group, which might be partly due to differences in surgical approaches and the improvement of the cancer screening in China. The nomogram model provided an insightful and applicable tool to evaluate the prognosis of younger patients in China and the United States. Furthermore, biological analysis of younger patients was performed among different regions, which might partly explain the histopathological behavior and survival disparity in the subpopulations.

Retrospective analysis of risk factors for distant metastasis of early-onset gastric cancer during the perioperative period

Background

Although the overall global incidence of gastric cancer has been declining, the number of new cases in people under the age of 50 is increasing, which is related to metastasis, late pathological stages, and poor prognosis. There is a scarcity of large-scale studies to evaluate and predict distant metastasis in patients with early-onset gastric cancer.

Methods

From January 2010 to December 2019, data on early-onset GC patients undergoing surgery were gathered from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. We investigated the independent risk factors for distant metastasis in patients with early-onset gastric cancer. Based on these risk factors, we developed a nomogram to predict distant metastasis. The model underwent internal validation on the test set and external validation on 205 patients from the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University and the seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. The novel nomogram model was then evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration, the area under the curve (AUC), and decision curve analysis (DCA). The training set nomogram score was used to classify the different risk clusters of distant metastasis.

Results

Our study enrolled 2217 patients after establishing the inclusion and exclusion criteria, with 1873 having no distant metastasis and 344 having distant metastasis. The tumor size, total lymph nodes, whether or not receiving radiotherapy and chemotherapy, T stage, and N stage were significant predictors of advanced distant metastasis (p < 0.05). The AUC of the ROC analysis demonstrated our model's high accuracy. Simultaneously, the prediction model shows high stability and clinical practicability in the calibration curve and DCA analysis.

Conclusions

We developed an innovative nomogram containing clinical and pathological characteristics to predict distant metastasis in patients younger than 50 years old with gastric cancer. The tool can alert clinicians about distant metastasis and help them develop more effective clinical treatment plans.

Specifics of Young Gastric Cancer Patients: A Population-Based Analysis of 46,110 Patients with Gastric Cancer from the German Clinical Cancer Registry Group

Introduction: 2−8% of all gastric cancer occurs at a younger age, also known as early-onset gastric cancer (EOGC). The aim of the present work was to use clinical registry data to classify and characterize the young cohort of patients with gastric cancer more precisely. Methods: German Cancer Registry Group of the Society of German Tumor Centers—Network for Care, Quality and Research in Oncology (ADT)was queried for patients with gastric cancer from 2000−2016. An approach that stratified relative distributions of histological subtypes of gastric adenocarcinoma according to age percentiles was used to define and characterize EOGC. Demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment and survival were analyzed. Results: A total of 46,110 patients were included. Comparison of different groups of age with incidences of histological subtypes showed that incidence of signet ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) increased with decreasing age and exceeded pooled incidences of diffuse and intestinal type tumors in the youngest 20% of patients. We selected this group with median age of 53 as EOGC. The proportion of female patients was lower in EOGC than that of elderly patients (43% versus 45%; p < 0.001). EOGC presented more advanced and undifferentiated tumors with G3/4 stages in 77% versus 62%, T3/4 stages in 51% versus 48%, nodal positive tumors in 57% versus 53% and metastasis in 35% versus 30% (p < 0.001) and received less curative treatment (42% versus 52%; p < 0.001). Survival of EOGC was significantly better (five-years survival: 44% versus 31% (p < 0.0001), with age as independent predictor of better survival (HR 0.61; p < 0.0001). Conclusion: With this population-based registry study we were able to objectively define a cohort of patients referred to as EOGC. Despite more aggressive/advanced tumors and less curative treatment, survival was significantly better compared to elderly patients, and age was identified as an independent predictor for better survival.

Comparison of incidence and prognosis between young and old gastric cancer patient in North-Western China: A retrospective cohort study

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth most common cancer in the world and the second most common cancer in China. In this study, we compared the clinicopathological features and prognosis of GC between young and old patients after curative resection. Six hundred and eighty-six patients with GC resected were divided two groups according to patient age: Younger GC patients ≤40 years of age (YGC, n = 52) and older GC patients >40 years of age (OGC, n = 634). The YGC group had 52 (7.6%) patients in total 686 GC patients. YGC patients was predominant in women (53.8% vs 26.5%) compared with OGC patients. 5-year overall survival exhibited differences in tumor sites, tumor sizes, macroscopic types, T staging, N staging, rate of N staging (rN), tumor node metastasis staging, scope of gastrectomy, radical degree, and lymphatic vascular invasion within each of YGC and OGC group. Univariate analysis of the clinical factors affecting overall survival in YGC group revealed the significant differences in tumor size, macroscopic types (except Borrmann), T staging (except T2), N staging (N3a and N3b), rN, tumor node metastasis staging (III), scope of gastrectomy, radical degree, and lymphatic vascular invasion. Gender, N staging, rN, radical degrees were the independent prognostic factors of younger patients with GC. Similar results were found in the OGC groups. The significant differences in radical degree and lymphatic vascular invasion were found between male and female patients in YGC group. Similar results were found in the OGC groups. Our results showed that YGC patients differ from OGC patients in predominance of women. Gender, N staging, rN, radical degrees were independent risk factors for the prognosis in YGC patients.

Clinicopathological characteristics, survival outcomes, and genetic alterations of younger patients with gastric cancer: Results from the China National Cancer Center and cBioPortal datasets

Background

The survival outcomes of younger patients with gastric cancer (GC) have remained controversial. This study explores the clinicopathological characteristics, survival outcomes, and genetic alterations of younger and older patients with GC.

Methods

Patients with GC were identified from the China National Cancer Center Gastric Cancer Database (NCCGCDB) during 1998–2018. Survival analysis was conducted using Kaplan–Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazards models. Sequencing datasets were enrolled from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) databases.

Results

A total of 1146 younger (<40 years of age) and 16,988 older (≥40 years of age) cases were included in the study. Younger patients had more poorly differentiated lesions than older patients (53.7% vs. 33.8%, respectively; p < 0.0001), and were more often pTNM stage IV (19.5% vs. 11.8%, respectively; p < 0.001). The 5‐year overall survival (OS) of patients from the NCCGCDB increased from 1998 to 2018. Younger patients with pTNM stage III had a lower survival rate than older patients (p = 0.014), while no differences by age were observed at other stages. The mutation frequency of the LRP1B, GNAS, APC, and KMT2D genes was higher for older than younger patients (p < 0.05 for all genes). While not significantly different, younger patients from the TCGA and MSKCC databases were more likely to have CDH1, RHOA, and CTNNB1 gene mutations.

Conclusions

A stable proportion and improved survival of younger patients were reported using NCCGCDB data. Younger patients with pTNM stage III had lower rates of survival than older patients. Distinct molecular characteristics were identified in younger GC patients which may partly explain the histopathology and prognosis specific to this subpopulation.

Dilemma in selection of treatment for preoperative anemia in patients with gastric cancer

One of the common comorbidities of patients with gastric cancer waiting for gastrectomy is anemia, which negatively affects the postoperative outcomes and prognosis. Therefore, preoperative anemia often needs to be corrected. The most commonly used strategy to treat preoperative anemia in gastric cancer is transfusion. Currently, a large amount of evidence shows that transfusion can increase the incidence of postoperative complications and affect the long-term survival of patients. Therefore, there is a dilemma in choosing the treatment for preoperative anemia in patients with gastric cancer. Surgeons need to fully understand the duality of therapy strategies for preoperative anemia in gastric cancer patients. In this study, we review the studies on preoperative anemia and its treatment in patients with gastric cancer, aiming to help clinicians manage patients undergoing gastrectomy for cancer better.

Gastric Cancer in Young Adults: A Different Clinical Entity from Carcinogenesis to Prognosis

Approximately 5.0% of gastric cancer (GC) patients are diagnosed before the age of 40 and are not candidates for screening programs in most countries and regions. The incidence of gastric cancer in young adults (GCYA) has declined over time in most countries except in the United States. Genetic alterations, environmental factors, and lifestyle may predispose some young adults to GC. According to molecular classifications, the cancer of most GCYA patients belongs to the genomically stable or microsatellite stable/epithelial-mesenchymal transition subtype, with the common genetic aberrations being mutations in CDH1. What characterizes GCYA are a higher prevalence in females, more aggressive tumor behaviors, diagnosis at advanced stages, fewer comorbidities and being better treatment candidates, and a similar or better survival outcome when compared with older patients. Considering the greater loss of life-years in younger patients, lowering the incidence of GC and diagnosing at a relatively early stage are the two most effective ways to decrease GC mortality. To achieve these goals, the low awareness of GCYA among general people, policy-makers, clinicians, and researchers should be changed.

Young-onset gastric cancer and Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) - a major player in the pathogenesis?

Objective

Gastric cancer (GC) is a leading cause of cancer death, occurs predominantly in older age, with increasing incidence in young patients. The Cancer Genome Atlas indicates four subtypes for GC among which Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) subtype is estimated at 8.7%. We aim to determine the prevalence of EBV subtype in young GC patients (≤45 years) compared with an average-onset cohort (≥55 years) and characterize the clinicopathologic pattern of young-onset GC.

Methods

Gastric cancer samples of patients of both cohorts were screened for EBV by qPCR. Additional staining was done for Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), microsatellite instability (MSI) status and Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). Demographics and clinical data were retrieved from the medical records.

Results

Thirty-nine young-onset and 35 average-onset GC patients were reviewed. There was no apparent difference in tumor location, family history, histology and HER2 status between the cohorts. More young-onset patients were diagnosed with metastatic disease (27% vs 9%, p = 0.0498). EBV was significantly more prevalent in the young-onset cohort (33% vs 11%, p = 0.025). 15/17 EBV positive patients were under the median age of diagnosis for GC in the US (68 years). MSI-H was found only in the average-onset cohort [0% vs 27%, p = 0.001). PD-L1 positivity was higher in the young-onset cohort (31% vs 3%, p = 0.002).

Conclusion

Our study indicates that EBV subtype is more prevalent in young-onset GC and may play a key role in the pathogenesis. Higher rate of PD-L1 positivity in young-onset GC could change treatment strategies. We are currently evaluating these findings in a prospective trial.

Analysis of clinicopathologic characteristics of gastric cancer in patients ≤40 and ≥40 years of age

Objectives: Gastric cancer (GC) in young patients is a troubling clinical problem. The aim of this study was to analyze whether patients ≤40 years of age with GC differ from patients (age >40 years) in terms of clinicopathological and selected genetic factors.Materials and methods: Between 1984 and 2011, data were collected for 840 GC patients diagnosed and treated for GC at the Department of Gastroenterology at Pomeranian Medical University. The following clinicopathological features were compared between two age groups: sex, symptom duration, family history of cancer, tumor site, stage (early vs. advanced), blood group, histology, Helicobacter pylori infection and BRCA2 C572T silent mutation status.Results: A total of 65 (7.7%) patients were age 40 years or younger. GC was predominant in women in the younger group (p < .001). Patients (≤40 years) more frequently reported a positive family history of cancer (p = .01) and a diffuse tumor type was more common in this group (p < .001). The two age groups did not differ significantly regarding symptom duration, tumor location or stage, H. pylori infection, blood group, or BRCA2 C572T silent mutation status. A comparison of male and female patients aged 40 years or less did not reveal sex-based differences in any analyzed features.Conclusion: Patients ≤40 years of age with GC differ from patient >40 years of age in having a predominance of women, diffuse tumor type, and positive family history of cancer. These results offer openings for further investigation of the relevance of these differences.

A multicenter observational study on the clinicopathological features of gastric cancer in young patients

BACKGROUND

The details of gastric cancer in young patients remain unclear because of the low prevalence of the disease. This study aimed to clarify the clinicopathological features and prognosis of gastric cancer in young patients.

METHODS

From January 2007 to January 2016, patients in their 20s and 30s who were diagnosed with primary gastric cancer at 4 hospitals were enrolled. Their clinical characteristics and prognosis were evaluated.

RESULTS

The total number of patients was 72. The median age was 36 years, and the ratio of males to females was 1:1. The dominant histological type was undifferentiated type (66/72, 92%). Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) was positive in 81% (54/67). Although there were some asymptomatic patients in stages I-III, all stage IV patients had some clinical symptoms at the diagnosis. The percentage of stage IV was significantly higher in patients in their 20s than in those in their 30s (75% vs. 25%, P < 0.001). The Kaplan-Meier method showed that the overall survival of patients in their 20s was significantly lower than that of patients in their 30s (P = 0.037).

CONCLUSIONS

A high rate of H. pylori infection was revealed in young gastric cancer patients. The patients in their 20s had a worse prognosis than those in their 30s. We should consider examining the H. pylori infection status for young patients as well as older patients to identify high-risk populations.

More attention should be paid to adult gastric cancer patients younger than 35 years old: extremely poor prognosis was found

Purpose: Several studies have reported controversial results about prognosis of gastric cancer in young age patients. The difference may partially result from variable definitions of young age. The aim of this study was to find out the relation between age and prognosis of gastric cancer patients, and to analyze the clinicopathological features and prognostic factors in young gastric cancer patients.

Methods: Data queried for this analysis included GC patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program database from 1973 to 2014. Gastric cancer patients (N=79,505) diagnosed with an age≥18 were included. By combining patients with similar prognosis, we figured out 3 cutoff values of age, 35 years old, 65 years old and 75 years old. We divided patients into 4 groups: young age patients: 18-34 years; middle-age patients: 35-64 years; elderly patients: 65-74 years; extremely elderly patients: >74 years. GC patients from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (SYSUCC) were used as external validation data.

Results: The clinicopathological features of young age gastric cancer patients included: poor-differentiated, diffuse type of cancer, and advanced stage at diagnosis. The median survival of patients <35 years old was significantly lower than middle-age patients (35-64 years) and elderly patients (65-74 years) (12 months vs. 15 and 16 months, respectively, both p <0.001). Location of tumor, ethnicity, tumor size, surgery and TNM stage were independent prognostic factors by multivariate analysis in young patients. The poor prognosis for young patients remained valid in the SYSUCC database.

Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that gastric cancer patients <35 years old had an extremely poor prognosis. Early detection of gastric cancer is of paramount importance in young age people.

Survival and prognosis of young adults with gastric cancer

OBJECTIVES

Survival data for young adults (YA) with gastric cancer is conflicting and scarce in Brazil. The aim of this study was to compare the clinicopathological factors and survival rates of younger and older patients with gastric cancer.

METHODS

Hospital registries for 294 gastric cancer patients from a reference cancer hospital in São Paulo, Brazil, were consulted for the retrieval of clinicopathological information and follow-up time. Patients were placed into the following groups: YA (≤40 years; N=71), older adult (OA: 41 to 65 years; N=129) and elderly (E: ≥66 years; N=94). Differences were assessed through Pearson's χ2 test, Kaplan-Meier analysis, Log rank test and Cox regression.

RESULTS

More YA were diagnosed with advanced disease (clinical stage III/IV: 86.7% YA, 69.9% OA, and 67% E); however, fewer E patients underwent surgery (64.3% YA, 72.7% OA, and 52.4% E). The median overall survival among all patients was 16 months, and the overall survival rate was not significantly different among the age groups (p=0.129). There were no significant differences in the disease-free survival rate. Metastatic disease at diagnosis (HR=4.84; p<0.01) was associated with an increased hazard of death for YA.

CONCLUSION

Overall survival was similar among age groups. Metastatic disease at diagnosis was the only factor associated with a poorer prognosis in YA. These results suggest that younger patients deserve special attention regarding the detection of early stage disease.

Age does not influence efficacy of ramucirumab in advanced gastric cancer: Subgroup analyses of REGARD and RAINBOW

BACKGROUND AND AIM

REGARD and RAINBOW were global, phase 3, randomized, double-blind trials of second-line ramucirumab for metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. Exploratory subgroup analyses were described to assess the efficacy and safety of ramucirumab in REGARD and RAINBOW in young (≤ 45 and < 65 years) and elderly (≥ 65, ≥ 70, and ≥ 75 years) patients.

METHODS

Patients were randomized 2:1 to receive ramucirumab plus best supportive care or placebo plus best supportive care (REGARD) or 1:1 to ramucirumab plus paclitaxel or placebo plus paclitaxel (RAINBOW). Subpopulation Treatment Effect Pattern Plots assessed efficacy and adverse events by age groups for ramucirumab versus placebo.

RESULTS

The hazard ratios (HRs) for overall survival favored treatment with ramucirumab: REGARD ≤ 45 years (HR: 0.59, 95% confidence interval: 0.27-1.26), < 65 years (0.80, 0.59-1.10), ≥ 65 years (0.72, 0.48-1.08), ≥ 70 years (0.73, 0.44-1.23), and ≥ 75 years (0.59, 0.25-1.37); and RAINBOW ≤ 45 years (0.56, 0.33-0.93), < 65 years (0.78, 0.63-0.97), ≥ 65 years (0.88, 0.66-1.18), and ≥ 70 years (0.88, 0.60-1.28). The exception was elderly patients aged ≥ 75 years in RAINBOW (0.97, 0.47-2.01); however, patient numbers were low in this subgroup (n = 36). Similar findings were observed for progression-free survival, for which HRs numerically favored ramucirumab-treated patients. Adverse events (including grade ≥ 3) were not associated with age.

CONCLUSIONS

In comparison with placebo, ramucirumab conferred improvements in efficacy across age groups with a tolerable safety profile. Despite some limitations, these exploratory analyses support the use of ramucirumab in advanced gastric cancer, irrespective of age.

Gastric cancer in the young: An advanced disease with poor prognostic features

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Gastric cancer in young patients is rare. We analyzed the clinicopathological features and prognosis of early-onset gastric carcinoma.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed patients with gastric adenocarcinoma aged ≤45 years and >45 years at our institution over a 17-year period. Clinicopathological features were compared and survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier curves.

RESULTS

A total of 121 patients with gastric carcinoma aged ≤45 years were identified. The young group (YG) had a higher incidence of stage III/IV disease (86.8% vs. 57.9%, P < 0.001), poorly-differentiated carcinoma (95.9% vs. 74.4%, P < 0.001), and signet-cell type tumor (88.4% vs. 32.2%, P < 0.001) relative to the older group (OG). The majority of tumors were in the middle third of the stomach in both groups (P = 0.108). Three-year survival in the YG was 87.1%, 32.2%, and 6.9% in stage I/II, III, and IV disease, respectively. Surgical intervention in young patients with advanced carcinoma was not associated with improved survival. Although median survival was shorter in the YG compared to the OG (11.7 vs. 41.0 months, P < 0.001), stage-specific survival was similar.

CONCLUSION

Early-onset gastric cancer demonstrates advanced stage of disease, and a high incidence of poorly-differentiated and signet-cell type carcinoma. Overall survival is poor with no added benefit to surgical intervention in advanced disease.

Clinicopathological features of gastric cancer in young patients

BACKGROUND

Early-onset gastric cancer is relatively rare. To evaluate the clinicopathological features and surgical outcome of young patients with gastric cancer, this retrospective comparative study was conducted.

METHODS

From 2000 to 2010, 4882 patients underwent surgery for gastric adenocarcinoma in our institution. A total of 136 patients under 40 years old were enrolled as the young group, and a total of 1435 patients aged between 60 and 69 were identified as the control group for this study. The patient's characteristics, pathological findings, surgical and clinical outcomes were reviewed, and the risk factors of recurrence were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Among the young group, patients had significantly fewer comorbidities and postoperative complications. The patient proportion having 7 or more lymph node metastases was higher in the young group (25 %) than in the control group (16 %). The presence of lymph node metastasis was identified as a strong risk factor for recurrence (odds ratio = 4.31) in the young group according to the results of the step-wise logistic regression analysis. Although the disease-specific survival at stage II was relatively better in the young group (p = 0.0439) than in the control group, there were no significant differences in overall survival for all stages.

CONCLUSION

Early-onset gastric cancer is likely to present lymph node metastases. The survival rate of gastric cancer in young patients was equivalent to that in patients in their 60s, which is the typical age at onset.

Clinicopathologic and molecular features associated with patient age in gastric cancer

AIM: To compare characteristics and prognosis of gastric cancer based on age.

METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on clinical and molecular data from patients (n = 1658) with confirmed cases of gastric cancer in Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (Seoul, South Korea) from 2003 to 2010 after exclusion of patients diagnosed with lymphoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, and metastatic cancer in the stomach. DNA was isolated from tumor and adjacent normal tissue, and a set of five markers was amplified by polymerase chain reaction to assess microsatellite instability (MSI). MSI was categorized as high, low, or stable if ≥ 2, 1, or 0 markers, respectively, had changed. Immunohistochemistry was performed on tissue sections to detect levels of expression of p53, human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2, and epidermal growth factor receptor. Statistical analysis of clinical and molecular data was performed to assess prognosis based on the stratification of patients by age (≤ 45 and > 45 years).

RESULTS: Among the 1658 gastric cancer patients, the number of patients with an age ≤ 45 years was 202 (12.2%; 38.9 ± 0.4 years) and the number of patients > 45 years was 1456 (87.8%; 64.1 ± 0.3 years). Analyses revealed that females were predominant in the younger group (P < 0.001). Gastric cancers in the younger patients exhibited more aggressive features and were at a more advanced stage than those in older patients. Precancerous lesions, such as atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia, were observed less frequently in the older than in the younger group (P < 0.001). Molecular characteristics, including overexpression of p53 (P < 0.001), overexpression of HER-2 (P = 0.006), and MSI (P = 0.006), were less frequent in gastric cancer of younger patients. Cancer related mortality was higher in younger patients (P = 0.048), but this difference was not significant after adjusting for the stage of cancer.

CONCLUSION: Gastric cancer is distinguishable between younger and older patients based on both clinicopathologic and molecular features, but stage is the most important predictor of prognosis.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes for gastric cancer patients aged 18-30 years

BACKGROUND

There is little known about the clinicopathological features and the predictors of survival in extremely young adult patients aged 18-30 years. The aim of this study was to identify clinicopathological features and clinical outcomes for the overall population and for a resectable subgroup of gastric cancer patients aged 18-30 years.

METHODS

From January 2004 to December 2010, 207 patients aged between 18 and 30 years old were diagnosed with gastric cancer and treated at the Asan Medical Center. Clinical findings, histopathological parameters and outcomes were reviewed retrospectively. Patients were further divided into 2 groups according to tumor resectability and then clinicopathological factors that affect tumor resectability and clinical outcomes were analyzed.

RESULTS

Clinicopathological characteristics of study population showed a predominance of females, undifferentiated tumors, diffuse-type cancers, and advanced gastric cancer. The overall resectability rate was 70.0 % and the median follow-up period was significantly longer in the resectable tumor group (P < 0.001). Significant prognostic predictors for overall survival in overall patients were higher CEA levels (P = 0.016), larger tumor size (P < 0.001), unresectability (P = 0.006), and presence of lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.012) in a multivariate analysis. Significant prognostic factors for overall survival in patients with resectable disease included larger tumor size (>4 cm), lymphovascular invasion and higher CEA level in the multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Gastric adenocarcinomas in young adult patients aged 18-30 years have unique clinicopathological features. Early detection in a resectable state and subsequent complete resection could increase survival period in young patients with gastric cancer.

Prognosis of patients with gastric cancer and solitary lymph node metastasis

AIM: To investigate the relationship of solitary lymph node metastasis (SLNM) and age with patient survival in gastric cancer (GC).

METHODS: The medical records databases of China’s Beijing Cancer Hospital at the Peking University School of Oncology and Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital affiliated to Tongji University were searched retrospectively to identify patients with histologically proven GC and SLNM who underwent surgical resection between October 2003 and December 2012. Patients with distant metastasis or gastric stump carcinoma following resection for benign disease were excluded from the analysis. In total, 936 patients with GC + SLNM were selected for analysis and the recorded parameters of clinicopathological disease and follow-up (range: 13-2925 d) were collected. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to stratify patients by age (≤ 50 years-old, n = 198; 50-64 years-old, n = 321; ≥ 65 years-old, n = 446) and by metastatic lymph node ratio [MLR < 0.04 (1/25), n = 180; 0.04-0.06 (1/25-1/15), n = 687; ≥ 0.06 (1/15), n = 98] for 5-year survival analysis. The significance of intergroup differences between the survival curves was assessed by a log-rank test.

RESULTS: The 5-year survival rate of the entire GC + SLNM patient population was 49.9%. Stratification analysis showed significant differences in survival time (post-operative days) according to age: ≤ 50 years-old: 950.7 ± 79.0 vs 50-64 years-old: 1697.8 ± 65.9 vs≥ 65 years-old: 1996.2 ± 57.6, all P < 0.05. In addition, younger age (≤ 50 years-old) correlated significantly with mean survival time (r = 0.367, P < 0.001). Stratification analysis also indicated an inverse relationship between increasing MLR and shorter survival time: < 0.04: 52.8% and 0.04-0.06: 51.1% vs≥ 0.06: 40.5%, P < 0.05. The patients with the shortest survival times and rates were younger and had a high MLR (≥ 0.06): ≤ 50 years-old: 496.4 ± 133.0 and 0.0% vs 50-65 years-old: 1180.9 ± 201.8 and 21.4% vs≥ 65 years-old: 1538.4 ± 72.4 and 37.3%, all P < 0.05. The same significant trend in shorter survival times and rates for younger patients was seen with the mid-range MLR group (0.04-0.06), but the difference between the two older groups was not significant. No significant differences were found between the age groups of patients with MLR < 0.04. Assessment of clinicopathological parameters identified age group, Borrmann type, histological type and tumor depth as the most important predictors of the survival rates and times observed for this study population.

CONCLUSION: GC patients below 51 years of age with MLR of SLNM above 0.06 have shorter life expectancy than their older counterparts.

Differences in the treatment of young gastric cancer patients: patients under 50 years have better 5-year survival than older patients

PURPOSE

In the literature, the manifestations of gastric cancer have been described based on all patients. In recent times, interest has focused on the subgroup of young patients. In the following analysis, the subgroup of young patients (< 50y) is compared with an older reference group (≥ 50y).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Between 01.01.1995 and 31.12.2005, 482 patients with a previously untreated gastric cancer underwent surgery. Fifty-six patients in this group were under 50 years of age, and the remaining 367 patients constituted the reference group. All data were recorded prospectively and analyzed retrospectively from the clinical cancer registry of the University of Erlangen.

RESULTS

The analysis showed that the young patients had a similar tumor stage distribution. Diffuse tumor stages in the Laurén classification occurred significantly more often. The postoperative complication rate was similar, but the hospital mortality rate was significantly lower. The young patients had an obvious, but not significant, 5-year survival advantage in all tumor stages.

CONCLUSIONS

Younger patients can be operated on with greater confidence as they have a significantly lower hospital mortality rate. They exhibit markedly better 5-year survival at all tumor stages. According to our data, there is nothing to support the general belief that young patients have a poorer disease course. Further clinical and experimental studies are necessary to investigate this group more precisely.

Characteristics and prognosis of gastric cancer in young patients

The clinicopathological features of gastric cancer (GC) differ between younger and older patients, and it is thought that younger patients have a worse prognosis than older patients due to delayed diagnosis and more aggressive tumor behavior. These characteristics, however, remain controversial. A total of 3,818 patients with pathologically confirmed primary gastric adenocarcinoma were treated at our institution. We analyzed the difference in demographic and clinicopathological characteristics between 169 young [≤40 years of age, younger group (YG)] and 3,649 older [>40 years of age, older group (OG)] GC patients. There was a significantly higher proportion of females in the YG compared with the OG (53.3 and 31.0%, respectively; P<0.0001). The 5-year overall survival of the YG was significantly lower compared to that of the OG (59.7 and 65.9%, respectively; P=0.049). However, YG patients with curative resection had a similar 5-year survival rate to OG patients with curative resection (88.0 and 85.8%, respectively; P=0.547). Female patients in the YG showed a significantly lower survival rate than males in the YG (44.3 and 73.1%, respectively; P=0.0002). Multivariate analyses revealed that macroscopic type, depth of invasion, peritoneal metastasis, distant metastasis and curative resection were independent prognostic factors for the YG with GC. Young GC patients who undergo curative resection do not have a worse prognosis than older patients. Early diagnosis is important in successfully carrying out a curative resection and offering a better prognosis, particularly in females.

Clinicopathological features and prognostic factors of gastric cancer patients aged 40 years or younger

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Gastric adenocarcinoma (GC) occurs frequently in the sixth decade of life and is uncommon in patients aged 40 years or younger. The aims of this study were to define the clinicopathological features and elucidate the prognostic factors of GC in the young.

METHODS

Between 1998 and 2006, 1,815 GC patients undergoing resection were enrolled in a prospective database. The findings for 115(6.0%) patients aged 40 years or younger were compared with those of 1,009 patients between 56 and 75 years old.

RESULTS

The group of young patients with GC included significantly more women than the group of old patients (60.0% vs. 37.0%, respectively); young patients also had more T4 lesions (73.9% vs. 61.6%), undifferentiated tumors (85.2% vs. 55.1%), severe desmoplasia (41.4%vs. 12.2%), Lauren’s diffuse-type cancers (55.6% vs. 27.7%), and perineural invasion (69.1% vs. 46.1%). Survival rates in younger patients at 3, 5, and 10 years after resection were 56.8%, 52.0%, and 42.1%, respectively, similar to those in older patients (P ¼ 0.411). Unfavorable independent prognostic factors of GC in the young were degree of nodal involvement (N3 vs. N0; P ¼ 0.001), advanced T status (T3–4 vs.T1–2; P ¼ 0.015), tumor size (>4 vs. ≤4 cm; P ¼ 0.019), and status of resection margins (positive vs. negative; P ¼ 0.044).

CONCLUSIONS

GC tends to exhibit more aggressive tumor behavior in young patients than in old patients; however, the surgical survival of young and old patients was similar. Advanced nodal involvement (N3) is the most important independent prognostic factor in the young.

Comparison of the clinicopathological characteristics of young and elderly patients with gastric carcinoma: a meta analysis

To evaluate the relationship between age and clinicopathological characteristics in gastric carcinoma patients, we performed the meta-analysis based on nine retrospective clinical trials. Comparing elderly patients with young patients it showed lower male/female ratio, more diffuse GC, more Borrmann type IV, more poorly differentiated carcinoma, more peritoneal metastasis, less vascular invasion, fewer partial resections, and better 5-year survival rate. These particular age-related characteristics need to be further investigated.

Incidence of stomach cancer in oman and the other gulf cooperation council countries

OBJECTIVES

Stomach cancer is the most common cancer among males in Oman and the second most frequent among females from 1997 to 2007. Reports have suggested the rate is higher in Oman than in the other GCC countries. This study aims to describe the epidemiology of stomach cancer in Oman and to explore the apparent differences in the incidence of stomach cancer between Oman and the other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

METHODS

Data were obtained from the Omani National Cancer Registry (1997 - 2007) and from Gulf Centre for Cancer Registration reports (1998 - 2004).

RESULTS

The annual average age-adjusted incidence rates for stomach cancer in Oman were 10.1 per 100,000 for males and 5.6 per 100,000 for females between 1997 and 2007. The age-adjusted incidence varied by region within Oman, and the incidence rate was higher in Oman than in most other GCC countries between 1998 and 2004.

CONCLUSION

Further investigation of the completeness and accuracy of cancer registration is essential for exploration of variations in stomach cancer rates in the GCC countries.

Endoscopic, clinicopathological features and prognosis of very young patients with gastric cancer

BACKGROUND AND AIM

The number of clinical reports of very young (<35 years) patients with gastric cancer are limited. We aimed to investigate the endoscopic and clinicopathological features and long-term prognosis of this unique group of patients.

METHODS

A prospective endoscopy database review of all consecutive very young patients with gastric cancer was performed. The gender, age, clinical features, endoscopic and pathologic findings, and long-term survival of these very young patients were analyzed and compared with those of elderly patients.

RESULTS

A total of 210 patients were included with a median age of 31 year, 60.0% was female, and 34.3% presented with alarm features, 19.0% reported family history of gastric cancer. 58.1% of these cancers were located in gastric body, 33.8% were located in the antrum. 63.8% of these cancers were found to be diffuse type; 18.1% of patients underwent curative surgical treatment, and the 5-year survival rate was 42.1%.

CONCLUSIONS

The study describes that very young patients with gastric cancer were mainly females, who were less likely to present with alarm features, but had a high frequency of family history of gastric cancer; and the majority of these cancers were located in gastric body, and they had similar long-term prognosis compared with elderly counterparts if curative surgical resection was performed.