The objective of this study was to analyze, according to Lauren's classification, the prevalence of a hystological type -- intestinal or diffuse --, among gastric carcinomas. The authors reviewed 650 hystological sections from a Hospital in the City of São Paulo during a 30-year period, following the definitions of the above classification. After the 50's the intestinal type proved to be prevalent, reaching 62.74% of all cases of gastric cancer in the 80's, and showing a ratio of intestinal/diffuse type of 1.71. Other large series of cases whose diagnoses followed the nomenclature of WHO Hystological Classification showed to be inadequate for this study. The prevalence of the intestinal type of gastric carcinoma seems to disagree with the decreasing rates of mortality due to this disease in the State of São Paulo, in the same period. Further studies, such as the analysis of incidence rates and prevalence of Helicobacter pylori, among others, are necessary for a better understanding of these data.
Gastric Cancer; Stomach; Hystologic Types; Mortality; Time Trend
