A CASE FOR A LIMITED RESECTION

Leiomyosarcomas of the stomach are uncommon tumors and because their r arity there is a lack of understanding of the best approach to their s urgical treatment. This is a retrospective review of eleven patients s urgically treated with a non-radical method. The median age was 70 yea rs (range, 44 to 83 years) and the most common initial symptoms were a bdominal pain (36%), abdominal mass (27%) and weight loss (18%). The m ost common site of tumor involvement was the middle stomach (63%) and posterior wall (36%) with a median size of 18 cm (range, 8 to 30 cm). Operations included wedge resection of the stomach (55%), subtotal gas trectomy (36%) and biopsy (9%). Neither lymphadenectomy nor extended g astrectomy with en bloc excision were carried out. Follow-up was compl ete in all patients and the median duration of follow-up was 41 months (range, 8 to 72 months). The overall 5-years survival was 72% and onl y two patients died because of their tumor. Our results suggest that n on-radical surgery in gastric leiomyosarcoma is an appropriate method in the surgical management of these patients.