Analysis of the epidemiological profile of patients with gastric cancer at the University Hospital of Piauí (HU-UFPI)

Keywords

gastric cancer - staging - overall survival

Introduction: Gastric cancer is the third most lethal neoplasm globally, with high incidence and mortality. In Brazil, between 2020 and 2022, 21,230 new cases were registered annually. The etiology is multifactorial, including factors such as age, family history, infections, smoking, and obesity. The gastric microbiota, especially the presence of Helicobacter pylori (HP), plays a crucial role in gastric carcinogenesis, being detected in 75% of gastric cancer cases.

Objectives: To study and evaluate the profile of patients with gastric cancer and the efficacy of treatment instituted between January 2019 and December 2023.

Methodology: This is a retrospective cross-sectional observational study, based on the analysis of electronic medical records of patients diagnosed with gastric cancer at HU-UFPI.

Results: 73 patients with gastric cancer were included. The median age was 62 years. Approximately 40% of the patients were female and 60% were male. Regarding staging, 63% of the patients were clinical stage IV, 24% stage III, while only 13% of the patients were stage II. In the present cohort, no patients were detected in stage I. Approximately 22% of the patients had previous Helicobacter pylori infection. Regarding the patients undergoing surgical treatment, approximately 36.7% of the patients underwent gastrectomy. Of the patients analyzed, Her-2 testing was performed in 32% of the patients, being positive in 4% of the patients analyzed. Regarding microsatellite instability testing by immunohistochemistry, 20% of the patients underwent it, being positive for instability in 6.6% of the patients analyzed. Smoking was detected in 39% of the patients and alcoholism in 42% of the cases. The median overall survival of patients was 11.2 months.

Conclusion: Gastric cancer is a prevalent disease in Brazil. The main associated risk factors were smoking, alcoholism, sedentary lifestyle and previous H. pylori infection. Most patients (63% of cases) in this study were diagnosed at an advanced stage, with no patients in stage I being detected. The delay in accessing health services for testing and allowing early diagnosis may explain these findings. The median overall survival was 11.2 months, which is in line with the expected survival in patients with advanced disease.

Corresponding author: Hamira Naiara Sousa Arruda (e-mail: [e-mail]).

 

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No conflict of interest has been declared by the author(s).

Publication History

Article published online:
06 May 2025