Relation of the acidity of gastric juice to cancer and ulcer of the gastroduodenal tract.

SAITO, A. Relation of the Acidity of Gastric Juice to Cancer and Ulcer of the Gastroduodenal Tract. Tohoku J. exp. Med., 1973, 111 (4), 323-345-The author has statistically studied the acidity of gastric juice obtained from 1,100 cases of gastric cancer, 29 cases of gastric polyps, one case of gastric sarcoma, one case of gastric myoma, 5 cases of duodenal cancer, 570 cases of gastric ulcer, 90 cases of gastroduodenal ulcer and 505 cases of duodenal ulcer, and the following conclusions were obtained. (1) In neoplasm, anacidity and hypoacidity appeared in an overwhelming majority of cases; 84.4% of gastric cancer, 89.6% of gastric polyps and 100% of duodenal cancer were of anacidity and hypoacidity. On the contrary, in ulcer, hyperacidity and super-hyperacidity were quite often found; 41.8% of gastric ulcer, 69.7% of duodenal ulcer and 65.5% of gastroduo denal ulcer cases were found to have hyperacidity or super-hyperacitity. (2) Of gastric cancer 60.5% were found to have anacidity during the entire investiga tion. Some of gastric cancer patients who had once normoacidity or hyperacidity showed anacidity or hypoacidity later and vice versa. It was found that almost all of the gastric cancer patients had anacidity at some stage. (3) 58.6% of gastric ulcer, 85.1% of duodenal ulcer and 86.8% of gastroduodenal ulcer cases showed hyperacidity or super-hyperacidity all the time. On the contrary, 7.3% of gstric ulcer, 2.8% of duodenal ulcer and 1.5% of gastroduodenal ulcer cases showed hypoacidity or anacidity. It should be noted that the number of ulcer patients who had hypoacidity or anacidity could be found to be less if the gastric juice examination was repeated frequently. (4) It has been demonstrated that the gastric secretion is controlled by the autonomic nervous system as other clinical signs and symptoms. In an individual with sympathicotonic type of constitution, anacidity or hypoacidity with clinical signs and symptoms of a sympathicotonic type appears, and a parasympathicotonic type of constitution shows hyperacidity or super-hyperacidity with clinical signs and symptoms of a parasympathicotonic type. gastric juice; gastroduodenal cancer; gastro duodenal ulcer