Gastric Cancer: Frequency and Trends

Nuno Lunet

Serviço de Higiene e Epidemiologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto

 

A continued international decline in gastric cancer mortality is one of the most remarkable events in cancer epidemiology. This "unplanned triumph", however, is characterized by geographical differences in cancer frequency and trends, both between and within countries. The declining incidence of gastric carcinoma could be explained primarily by the decrease in the relative number of intestinal type cases, and the cancers of the cardia show increasing or stable trends. The understanding of the site and histological type specific trends in each region, overcoming the methodological difficulties and the gaps in our knowledge of cancer aetiology, are essential to predict the future burden of gastric cancer.

Key-words: stomach neoplasms; cardia; histological type; trends.

 

Cancro Gástrico: Frequência e Respectiva Evolução

A diminuição continuada da mortalidade por cancro do estômago e um facto singular na epidemiologia do cancro. Este “triunfo não planeado” caracteriza-se por diferenças geográficas nas taxas de incidência e mortalidade e na respectiva evolução nas últimas décadas. Adicionalmente, o declínio na incidência do carcinoma gástrico pode ser explicado primariamente pela diminuição da frequência relativa dos cancros do tipo intestinal e os cancros localizados no cárdia parecem estar a tornar-se mais frequentes. A compreensão da evolução da incidência e mortalidade por cancro gástrico, em cada região, distinguindo localizações anatómicas e tipos histológicos, ultrapassando as dificuldades metodológicas e as lacunas que persistem na forma como actualmente entendemos as suas causas, são essenciais para prever a futura carga de doença e mortalidade associadas ao cancro do estômago.

Palavras-chave: cancro do estômago; cardia; tipo histológico; tendência.

 

 

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Correspondência:

Prof. Nuno Lunet

Serviço de Higiene e Epidemiologia

Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto

Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro 4200-319 Porto

e-mail: nlunet@med.up.pt