RECURRENT DEATH AMONG EARLY GASTRIC-CANCER PATIENTS - 20-YEARS EXPERIENCE

Six hundred and ninety-six patients, from among a total of 1868 cases, were diagnosed as having gastric cancer, and underwent surgical treat ment at this Medical Institution, between 1972 and 1992. Eighteen pati ents (2.6 %) died of recurrent disese, four (0.6%) tumors being mucosa l, and fourteen (2.0%) submucosal, in accordance with depth of invasio n. The clinico-pathological findings were analysed to clarify the risk factors of recurrence in patients with early gastric cancer, as follo ws: (a) submucosal invasion, (b) mixed type II a + II c in gross appea rance, (c) tumor size more than 40 mm in diameter. In mucosal cancers, recurrance occurred in patients with lymph-vessel invasion and lymph- node metastasis. In terms of the site of the recurrent lesion, the pat ients had predominantly hepatic recurrence. We conclude that there are specific factors related to the increased risk of recurrence, that ca n be evaluated pre-operatively. By identifying the risk factors of rec urrence, we can optimize the therapeutic approach to these patients.