TREATMENT REGIMENS AND SURVIVAL RATES OF GASTRIC ADENOCARCINOMA IN THE FRENCH COUNTY OF FINISTERE, FROM 1984 TO 1989

Objectives. - The aim of this study was to analyze the evolution of tr eatment regimens and survival rates of stomach adenocarcinoma recorded in the Finistere cancer registry from 1984 to 1989. Methods. - In a p opulation of 838 627 inhabitants, 1 280 patients with a gastric cancer were registered; 1 164 patients (693 males and 471 females) had an ad enocarcinoma. Survival rates were estimated by the actuarial method, a nd compared using the logrank test and the Cox model. Results. - Surgi cal resection was the main treatment for 661 patients (57 %). The freq uency of curative resection increased from 25 % between 1984 and 1986 to 35 % after 1986. Among the other patients, 39 (3 %) were treated by chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, and 53 patients (4 %) by endoscopy alone; 253 patients had only symptomatic treatment. The survival rates of all patients were 43 % at I year and 20 % at 5 years. The median s urvival ,vas 9.2 +/- 0.6 months. In patients with cancer managed surgi cally, the factors associated with a better prognosis were young age, long duration of symptoms before diagnosis, ulcerated macroscopic aspe ct, limited tumour extension and curative surgical resection. In other patients, 2 factors were associated a with better prognosis: the abse nce of metastases and an endoscopic palliative treatment. Conclusions. - Surgical resection is the main treatment of gastric adenocarcinoma. Although the frequency of surgery increased, the prognosis of gastric adenocarcinoma did not improve within this 6-year period.