| [ Summary ] |
In accordance with the extended life expectancy in Japan, the prevalence of gastric cancer in elderly patients has been increasing. In an attempt to elucidate the characteristic features of gastric cancer in the elderly population, we reviewed the clinical records of 826 gastric cancer patients admitted to our institution and 1190 patients found to have gastric cancer by gastric mass survey. Our analysis revealed a steady increase in the prevalence of gastric cancer in the elderly over the past decade. Major features included: i)elevated type, well-differentiated adenocarcinoma, ii)relatively favorable prognosis, iii)increasing use of endoscopic treatment with satisfactory QOL outcome, and iv)difficulty in early detection due to limited access to gastric mass survey. In conclusion, it is important to detect early gastric cancer in the elderly population as a means of maintaining good QOL status. |