Gastric cancer in north Sardinia, Italy: an epidemiological report

Aims: The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological characteristics and trends of gastric cancer in north Sardinia, Italy, in the period 1992-2010. Materials and methods. Data were obtained from the cancer registry of the province of Sassari, which makes part of a wider registry web coordinated by the Italian Association for Tumor Registries. Results. The overall number of gastric cancer cases registered was 1227. The male-to-female ratio was 1.7:1 and the mean age 69 years for males and 71 years for females. The standardized incidence rates were 15.6/100,000 and 7.3/100,000 and the standardized mortality rates 11.7/100,000 and 5.8/100,000 for males and females respectively. Conclusions. Low and stable trends in incidence and mortality of gastric cancer in both sexes were evidenced in North Sardinia, in the period under investigation. Nevertheless, the relative survival at 5 years from diagnosis was relatively low. This suggests that there must be an enhancement of surveillance policies, and that the diagnosis and treatment methods adopted in the area must improve.