AGE AND SITES-SPECIFIC PREVALENCE RATES OF PRECANCEROUS GASTRIC LESIONS AT A HIGH-RISK POPULATION OF STOMACH CANCER

A population-based screening for stomach cancer (SC) and its precancerous lesions was conducted in Linqu County, Shandong, China, one of the highest SC rates found in China and the world. An analysis of precancerous stomach lesions revealed that chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) was a universal common among people aged 35–64 (96–98%). For 52% and 20% of the residents in this age group had intestinal metaplasia (IM) or dysplasia (DYS). These more advanced lesions were more pronounced in the antrum for both males and females. Age- specific prevalence rates in different anatomic locations showed that CAG developed in the antrum, particularly along the lesser curvature earler than other sites and spread to fundus. IM and DYS accrued under the background of CAG with a leading time in the antrum than the other part of the stomach. Although CAG, IM and DYS prevalence rates were higher in the antrum than in the fundus, the prevalence rates showed a similar smoothly slope, a result of accumulated somatic genetic damage, suggesting a similar biological response to the stimulation of initiator of carcinogenesis, promoter leading to progression to SC.