Clinical epidemiology of gastric cancer in Hehuang valley of China:A 10-year epidemiological study of gastric cancer

AIM: To investigate the clinical epidemiological characteristics of gastric cancer in the Hehuang valley, China, to provide a reference for treatment and prevention of regional gastric cancer.METHODS: Between February 2003 and February 2013, the records of 2419 patients with gastric cancer were included in this study. The patient’s characteristics, histological and pathological features, as well as the dietary habits of the patients, were investigated.RESULTS: The clinical data showed that adenocarcinoma was the leading histological type of gastric cancer in this area. Characteristics of gastric cancer in different ethnic groups and age showed that the 60.55-65.50 years group showed the high incidence of gastric cancer in all ethnic groups. There were more male gastric cancer patients than female. Intestinal was the most common type of gastric cancer in the Hehuang valley. There was no significant difference in the proportion of sex in terms of Helicobacter pylori infection. The impact of dietary habits on gastric cancer showed that regular consumption of fried or grilled food, consumption of high-salt, high-fat and spicy food and drinking strong Boiled brick-tea were three important factors associated with gastric cancer in males and females.CONCLUSION: Differences existed in race, sex, and age of patients according to the epidemiology of gastric cancer in the Hehuang valley. Moreover, dietary habits was also an important factor contributing to gastric cancer.