Stomach carcinoma among Hawaiians and Caucasians in Hawaii

Abstract

A review of Caucasian and Hawaiian patients with stomach carcinoma in Honolulu reinforces observations in other racial groups that the Lauren diffuse histopathological type of gastric cancer is more frequent in females and younger patients, while the so-called intestinal type is more common in older patients and men; that the intestinal form has a better prognosis; and that there are more long-term survivors among women than men with diffuse carcinoma. Prognosis and the level of cancer risk are not associated in Hawaii, since Hawaiians share high risk with Japanese and poor prognosis with Caucasians. There is no apparent association of cancer risk with the ratio of intestinal to diffuse forms among Hawaiians, Caucasians, and Japanese. In addition to the known high risk of stomach carcinoma in Hawaiians and Japanese, this study has identified a high risk among people of Portuguese ancestry.