Pernicious Anemia as a Risk Factor in Gastric Cancer

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Abstract
We have analyzed the prevalence of pernicious anemia (PA) in all patients with autopsy‐verified gastric carcinoma (GC) registered during 1958‐76 in a Swedish city, with one Department of Pathology serving approximately 240000 inhabitants and with a high autopsy frequency. The prevalence was compared to that in a reference group of 917 sex‐and age‐matched individuals without GC. PA was found in 19 persons, 2.1%, (7 males and 12 females) in the GC group and in 13 persons, 1.4%, (5 males and 8 females) in the reference group. This difference is not significant (p15 years, the prevalence was twice as high in the GC as in the reference group. The differences were again insignificant (p<0.10). PA as a risk factor for the development of GC has been overestimated, probably due to inadequate reference groups. Only 2% of all GCs are associated with PA. Large‐scale preventive search for GC in PA patients is thus unjustified.