Epidemiological and pathological profile of gastric cancer: A 10-year cross-sectional study in Khorramabad, Western Iran.
BACKGROUND Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide and remains a major public health concern. As many patients are diagnosed at advanced stages, understanding its epidemiological characteristics is essential for prevention and early detection. This study investigated the epidemiological profile of GC among patients referred to a gastroenterology clinic in western Iran. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, we reviewed the medical records of 193 patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancers (GI) out of 6223 total endoscopic/colonoscopic procedures performed at the (XXX) clinic between 2009 and 2019. RESULTS A total of 93 patients were diagnosed with gastric cancer, accounting for 48.2 % of all identified GI cancer cases (n = 193). The mean age was 67.3 ± 12.6 years, with the highest frequency observed in the 70-79-year age group (31.2 %). Men accounted for 64.5 % of cases. Most patients lived in urban areas (86 %). The most common presenting symptoms were epigastric pain and weight loss (45.2 %), followed by loss of appetite (36.6 %) and dysphagia (21.5 %). Tumors were most frequently located in the cardia (47.3 %), followed by the body (33.3 %), antrum (11.8 %), and pylorus (7.5 %). Adenocarcinoma was the predominant histological type (92.5 %), with poorly differentiated tumors accounting for 47.2 % of cases. Regarding risk factors, 24.7 % of patients reported smoking, 14 % had a family history of gastric cancer, and 58.1 % reported no identifiable risk factors. Tumor location and histological type showed no significant association with gender. CONCLUSION GC was the most prevalent GI malignancy identified in this regional cohort, aligning with national and broader epidemiological trends. While changing lifestyle profiles and dietary patterns have been hypothesized to influence these shifts globally, comprehensive longitudinal studies are required to directly evaluate specific behavioral and environmental risk factors within this population.