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

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. 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, infection and BRCA2 C572T silent mutation status. A total of 65 (7.7%) patients were age 40 years or younger. GC was predominant in women in the younger group ( < .001). Patients (≤40 years) more frequently reported a positive family history of cancer ( = .01) and a diffuse tumor type was more common in this group ( < .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. 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.