ABSTRACT
Blood group A is a risk factor for gastric cancer but blood group O is not. Other risk factors include atrophic gastritis, low social status and smoking.
Oesophageal cancer
3 C Over 75 per cent of cases of oesophageal carcinoma will have metastasis at the time of diagnosis and overall 5-year survival is just 5 per cent. Spread is initially by direct invasion, then by lymphatics. Haematogenous spread occurs late. Appropriate choice of staging investigations depends on the positioning of the primary tumour. Endoscopy is not a staging investigation, although it is a diagnostic investigation and allows making a tissue diagnosis and grading of the tumour.
