Gastric precancerous lesions in first degree relatives of patients with known gastric cancer: a cross-sectional prospective study in Guilan Province, north of Iran.

Background And Objectives: In patients with gastric cancer, the most frequently reported family history of cancer also involves the stomach. The aim of this study was to assess the presence of gastric precancerous lesions in first-degree relatives of patients with gastric cancer and to compare the obtained results with those of individuals with no such family history.

Methods: Between 2007 and 2009, 503 consecutive persons more than 30 years old were enrolled in the study covering siblings, parents or children of patients with confirmed adenocarcinoma of stomach.