Abstract: Analysis of Clinicopathologic Features of Familial Gastric CancerRuizeng DONG1, Yanwei YE2, Yingqiang SHI2, Guangfa ZHAO2, Hong FU2Correspondence to: Yingqiang SHI, E-mail: Yingqiangshi@163.com1Department of Abdominal Surgery, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou 310022, China2Department of Abdominal Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Hospital, Shanghai 200032, ChinaAbstract Objective: To explore the clinicopathologic characteristics of familial gastric cancer. Methods: Medical data of 4 426patients with gastric cancer treated in our hospital between January 1996 and December 2007 were retrospectively analyzed.Clinicopathologic features were analyzed. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS13.0 software. The Chi-square test or Fisher'sexact probability test were used for the comparison of frequency data among different groups. The analysis of variance was used for thecomparison of means. Results: One hundred and fifty-six patients ( 3.5%) fulfilled the broad screening criteria for hereditary gastriccancer recommended by International Collaborative Group on Hereditary Gastric Cancer (ICG-HGC). In the familial gastric cancercases, the mean age at diagnosis was 50.3 years, the proportion of early stage patients was 20.5% and the incidence of extra-gastricmalignant tumors was 21.2%. While in non-familial gastric cancer cases, the mean age at diagnosis was 57.3 years, the proportion ofearly stage patients was 12.4% and the incidence of extra-gastric malignant tumors was 7.9%, with significant differences between thetwo groups ( P < 0.05 ). The onset age of familial gastric cancer was significantly decreased through successive generations. The meanonset age was 58.3 years old in the first generation, 49.7 years old in the second generation and 40 years old in the third generation.Statistically significant differences were observed in the onset age among the different generations ( P < 0.05 ). Colorectal cancer,esophageal cancer, hepatic cancer, lung cancer and leukemia were common extra-gastric malignant tumors in the familial gastric cancerpedigree, but when compared with the non-familial gastric cancer pedigree, statistically significant differences were only observed incolorectal cancer, hepatic cancer and leukemia ( P < 0.05 ). There were no statistically significant differences in the gender, tumor site,histological type or number of lesions between familial and non-familial gastric cancer ( P > 0.05 ). Conclusion: Familial gastric canceris a known entity with some unique clinicopathologic features. Age of onset of familial gastric cancer is lower than of that non-familialgastric cancer and decreases through successive generations. Extra-gastric cancer occurs more frequently in familial gastric cancerpatients.