Which of the following anaemias is a risk factor for the development of gastric carcinoma ?
Gastric cancer has several known risk factors, like H. pylori infection, chronic atrophic gastritis, and pernicious anemia. Pernicious anemia is caused by vitamin B12 deficiency due to lack of intrinsic factor, which is often from autoimmune destruction of parietal cells in the stomach. This leads to chronic inflammation and atrophy of the gastric lining, which can progress to intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia, increasing cancer risk.
Looking at the answer options, if one of them is pernicious anemia, that's the correct answer. The other options would be other types of anemia like iron-deficiency, aplastic, or sickle cell. Each of these has different mechanisms and associations. Iron-deficiency anemia isn't directly linked to gastric cancer. Aplastic anemia is a bone marrow failure, so no direct link. Sickle cell is a hemoglobinopathy, also not related to gastric issues.
The clinical pearl here is that pernicious anemia is a known precursor for gastric cancer, so patients should be monitored. The correct answer is pernicious anemia.
**Core Concept**
The association between chronic atrophic gastritis and gastric carcinoma is central. Pernicious anemia, caused by autoimmune destruction of gastric parietal cells, leads to chronic inflammation, metaplasia, and dysplasia, which are precancerous changes.
**Why the Correct Answer is Right**
Pernicious anemia results from vitamin B12 deficiency due to intrinsic factor deficiency. The underlying autoimmune process destroys parietal cells in the gastric body, causing chronic gastritis. Over time, this leads to intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia, significantly increasing gastric adenocarcinoma risk. The link is well-established in epidemiology and pathology.
**Why Each Wrong Option is Incorrect**
**Option A:** Iron-deficiency anemia lacks a direct causal pathway to gastric malignancy.
**Option B:** Aplastic anemia affects bone marrow, not gastric mucosa.
**Option C:** Sickle cell anemia is a hemoglobinopathy unrelated to gastric pathology.
**Clinical Pearl / High-Yield Fact**
Pernicious anemia is a classic example of a *Type I gastric cancer* precursor. Remember the "ABCs": Autoimmune β B12 deficiency β Cancer risk. Routine endoscopic surveillance is recommended for patients with pernicious anemia.
**Correct Answer: C. Pernicious anemia**