Gastric cancer patient characteristics in a city in the Central Anatolian Region of Turkey: A single-center descriptive study

Aims: This study aimed to determine the characteristics of patients with gastric cancer living in Eskişehir, a city located in the central Anatolian region of Turkey, together with factors affecting the recurrence and survival time. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using patients records who were admitted to Eskişehir Osmangazi University Health Practice and Research Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine between December 1998 and January 2011 with a diagnosis of gastric cancer. Missing data was obtained by calling the patients or their relatives by phone. Results: We evaluated 210 gastric cancer patients in this study.Male sex was approximately 2.5 times dominant, and most of the patients were diagnosed between the ages of 60-69. Approximately 1/5th of the patients applied to the health center 6 months after the onset of symptoms. Age, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy were significantly related to recurrence (p=0.028, p=0.009, and p=0.005, respectively). Stage, area of involvement, positive surgical margin, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and the number of lymph nodes removed were significantly related to survival time (p<0.001 for all variables). Conclusion: In the studied population, gastric cancer diagnosis is delayed in a significant proportion of symptomatic patients. To decrease missed diagnoses, health professionals, especially those working in primary health care, should be made more sensitive towards the red flags of gastric cancer. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are effective treatment options in preventing recurrences and improving survival.