Abstract
Background
The pathogenetic mechanisms behind gastric cancer are still unclear. Its familial aggregation, on the other hand, has been very well documented by many epidemiologists. Nonetheless, only a limited number of studies have analyzed possible correlations between demographic and clinical data.
Methods
Between January 1988 and August 2004, 541 patients underwent gastric resection with a curative intent at our department; demographic information, laboratory data, imaging, operative notes, and pathology reports were available for all patients. During 2004 we conducted a series of structured interviews with the surviving patients or their closest relatives regarding oncological family history, limited to first-degree relatives.
Results
Family history could be obtained in 383 patients (70.8%). Gastric cancer was by far the most frequently associated tumor: 21.9% of the overall number of tumors reported in the family histories were gastric cancers. Patients were also subdivided into those having at least one other family member with stomach cancer (71 patients; 18.5%) and those with no relatives affected by gastric cancer (312 patients; 81.5%). No statistically significant differences between the groups were observed regarding the primary tumor location, size, pTNM classification, and ABO or Rh blood types. However, the intestinal histotype was significantly (P = 0.015) more frequently represented in individuals with at least one family member affected by gastric cancer compared with those with no relatives with stomach cancer (71.8% vs 55.1%, respectively).
Conclusions
Stomach cancer has a relevant degree of familial aggregation and in our series of patients, this was even more pronounced for the intestinal histotype.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
DA Corley A Kubo (2004) ArticleTitleInfluence of site classification on cancer incidence rates: an analysis of gastric cardia carcinomas J Natl Cancer Inst 15 IssueID96 1383–7
S Sasazuki S Sasaki S Tsugane (2002) ArticleTitleCigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and subsequent gastric cancer risk by subsite and histologic type Int J Cancer 101 560–6 Occurrence Handle10.1002/ijc.10649 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD38Xns1eqsro%3D Occurrence Handle12237898
M Kobayashi Y Tsubono S Sasazuki S Sasaki S Tsugane (2002) ArticleTitleVegetables, fruit and risk of gastric cancer in Japan: a 10-year follow-up of the JPHC study cohort I Int J Cancer 102 39–44 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD38XnvFCru78%3D Occurrence Handle12353232
M Serafini R Bellocco A Wolk AM Ekstroem (2002) ArticleTitleTotal antioxidant potential of fruit and vegetables and risk of gastric cancer Gastroenterology 123 985–91 Occurrence Handle10.1053/gast.2002.35957 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD38Xotl2gtb0%3D Occurrence Handle12360458
EM El-Omar M Carrington WH Chow KE McColl JH Bream HA Young et al. (2000) ArticleTitleIterleukin-1 polymorphisms associated with increased risk of gastric cancer Nature 404 398–402 Occurrence Handle10.1038/35006081 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3cXitlyltb4%3D Occurrence Handle10746728
EM El-Omar CS Rabkin MD Gammon TL Vaughan HA Risch JB Schoenberg et al. (2003) ArticleTitleIncreased risk of noncardia gastric cancer associated with proinflammatory cytokine gene polymorphisms Gastroenterology 124 1193–201 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3sXktVSktrw%3D Occurrence Handle12730860
A Dunbier P Guilford (2001) ArticleTitleHereditary diffuse gastric cancer Adv Cancer Res 83 55–65 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD38Xitl2jsLk%3D Occurrence Handle11665720
DC Chung AK Rustgi (2003) ArticleTitleThe hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer syndrome: genetics and clinical implications Ann Intern Med 138 560–70 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3sXjtVejtLc%3D Occurrence Handle12667026
D Palli M Galli NE Caporaso F Cipriani A Decarli C Saieva et al. (1994) ArticleTitleFamily history and risk of stomach cancer in Italy Cancer Epidemiol, Biomarkers Prev 3 15–8 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:ByuC28zgvFY%3D
G Zanghieri C Di Gregorio C Sacchetti R Fante R Sassatelli G Cannizzo et al. (1990) ArticleTitleFamilial occurrence of gastric cancer in the 2-year experience of a population-based registry Cancer 66 2047–51 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:By6D38bht1Q%3D Occurrence Handle2224804
C La Vecchia E Negri S Franceschi A Gentile (1992) ArticleTitleFamily history and risk of stomach cancer and colorectal cancer Cancer 70 50–5 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:By2B1MfjtVY%3D Occurrence Handle1606546
J Lissowska FD Groves LH Sobin JF Fraumeni SuffixJr A Nasierowska-Guttmejer J Radziszewski et al. (1999) ArticleTitleFamily history and risk of stomach cancer in Warsaw, Poland Eur J Cancer Prev 8 223–7 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1MzntFGmsw%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10443951
PK Dhillon DC Farrow TL Vaughan WH Chow HA Risch MD Gammon et al. (2001) ArticleTitleFamily history of cancer and risk of esophageal and gastric cancers in the United States Int J Cancer 93 148–52 Occurrence Handle10.1002/ijc.1294 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3MzhvFaktQ%3D%3D Occurrence Handle11391635
H Nagase K Ogino I Yoshida H Matsuda M Yoshida H Nakamura et al. (1996) ArticleTitleFamily history-related risk of gastric cancer in Japan: a hospital-based case-control study Jpn J Cancer Res 87 1025–8 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK28XmsFGksLY%3D Occurrence Handle8957058
K Bromen H Pohlabeln I Jahn W Ahrens KH Joekel (2000) ArticleTitleAggregation of lung cancer in families: results from a population-based case-control study in Germany Am J Epidemiol 152 497–505 Occurrence Handle10.1093/aje/152.6.497 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3cvksFOltg%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10997539
CS Fuchs EL Giovannucci GA Colditz DJ Hunter FE Speizer WC Willett (1994) ArticleTitleA prospective study of family history and the risk of colorectal cancer New Engl J Med 331 1669–74 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:ByqD2Mbjt1A%3D Occurrence Handle7969357
RB Hayes JM Liff LM Pottern RS Greenberg JB Schoenberg AG Schwartz et al. (1995) ArticleTitleProstate cancer risk in U.S. blacks and whites with a family history of cancer Int J Cancer 60 361–4 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:ByqC3s%2Fis1U%3D Occurrence Handle7829245
InstitutionalAuthorNameCollaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer (2001) ArticleTitleFamilial breast cancer: collaborative reanalysis of individual data from 52 epidemiological studies including 5209 women with breast cancer and 10986 women without the disease Lancet 358 1389–99
P Lichtenstein NV Holm PK Verkasalo A Iliadou J Kaprio M Koskenvuo et al. (2000) ArticleTitleEnvironmental and heritable factors in the causation of cancer New Engl J Med 343 78–85 Occurrence Handle10.1056/NEJM200007133430201 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3czjtFCiug%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10891514
N Matsukura M Onda A Tokunaga T Yoshiyuki Y Shimizu K Nishi et al. (1988) ArticleTitleSimultaneous gastric cancer in monozygotic twins Cancer 62 2430–5 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:BiaD38fhsVY%3D Occurrence Handle3052790
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bernini, M., Barbi, S., Roviello, F. et al. Family history of gastric cancer: a correlation between epidemiologic findings and clinical data. Gastric Cancer 9, 9–13 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10120-005-0350-7
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10120-005-0350-7