The author investigated 1122 consecutive cases of gastric carcinoma which were
subjected to the Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Busan National
University for pathological evaluation during the last 10 years from 1968 to 1977. All the
specimens obtained either by subtotal or total gastrectomy were referred by the Busan
University Hospital and the Busan Gospel Hospital. The author analyzed them
statistically in epidemiolgical and pathological points of view and obtained the following
results:
1. No information about the incidence of gastric carcinoma among Koreans during the
period could be acquired from the materials studied.
2. The male-to-female ratio was 1.94 to 1. The youngest and the oldest cases were 19
and 78 years of age, respectively. The model age group was 5th decade in both sexes.
There was some difference in form and center between the age distributions of gastric
carcinoma in male and female. The former was slightly asymmetrical and negatively
skewed, while the later was symmetrical and normal in form. The average age of male
cases was 51.15 year and that of female cases, 49.37 year.
3. The mortality or morbidity rate increased in both sexes as the age increases and
this tendency was more marked in male than in female.
4. There was no significant difference between the gross findings of gastric carcinoma
in male and female.
The location of the carcinoma was as follows: pylorus and antrum was in 69%, body
9%, cardia 7%, and fundus 1%. Most of the carcinomas were found in the low part of
the stomach, especially at the lesser curvature.
The sizes of the carcinomas varied greatly. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd quartiles were 4.3cm,
6.0cm, and 8.4cm, respectively.
The gross types of the carcinomas were classified, after Stout, and their relative
frequencies were as follows: ulcerative type 66%, diffuse infiltrating 26%, fungating 6%,
and early spreading 2%.
There was no significant difference between the age distributions by the gross types in
male and female, and no significant association between gross types and age.
The histological types were classified after Kubo, and their relative frequencies were as
follows: adenocarcinoma was in 61%, diffuse carcinoma 36%, and mucoid adenocarcinoma
3%. The distribution of histological types of the series under study did not differ from
that of the Kubo's Kyushu (Japan) series, but did differ from that of the Kubo's
Minnesota (U.S.A.) serieses.
The ratio of adenocarcinoma to diffuse carcinoma increased in both sexes as the age
increases.
There was a significant association between sex and age in the distribution of
adenocarcinorma and diffuse carcinoma.
There was no significant difference between the male and female age distributions in
both adenocarcinoma and mucoid adenocarcinoma, but a significant difference was found
between the male and female age distributions in diffuse carcinoma.
The average ages of the patients, if indicated to male and female separatedly, were as
fellows: adenocarcinoma 52.6 and 51.7, mucoid Ca 52.5 and 47. 1, diffuse 52.3, and 48.7.
There was a significant association between gross and histologic types.
On the basis ossociation the results described above, it was suggested that the
characteristic features of gastric carcinoma among Koreans might be expressed by the
phenomena due to the low average age of the patients. One of the phenomena is, for
instance, the relatively high incidence of the histologic type of diffuse carcinoma in
younger age.
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