Epidemiologic characteristics of gastric malignancies among Jordan University Hospital patients

OBJECTIVES To discover the epidemiologic distribution of gastric malignancies among Jordan University Hospital patients and to compare this distribution with the neighboring Arab countries. Methods: Retrospective study covering the period between  January 2006, and May 2016, in Jordan University Hospital, Amman, Jordan. All cases were retrieved from the computer system and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 23 software.  Results: One hundred and sixty-five cases were analyzed. Male-to-female ratio was 1.2:1. The mean age was 58.6 with 32.1% of patients aged 50 or younger. Primary adenocarcinoma was the most common tumor, half of which were diffuse type, followed by carcinoid tumors (15.2 %), lymphomas (10.3%), and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (8.5%). Proximally located tumors accounted for 15.4%. Helicobacter pylori were present in approximately half of the cases and 34.6% of cases contained intestinal metaplasia.  Conclusion: Jordan is a low-risk area for gastric cancer, but carcinoma occurs at a young age and is associated with gastritis, Helicobacter pylori infection, and intestinal metaplasia in a large proportion of cases. Better strategic health planning and early detection is needed, especially in young patients suffering from gastritis.