LONG-TERM RESULTS OF SURGICAL-TREATMENT F OR EARLY GASTRIC-CANCER

The postoperative course of 172 patients with early gastric cancer ope rated between 1974 and 1987 was reviewed with a median follow-up of 7 years. The survival probability at the end of 1989 was 0.916 (excludin g operative mortality and other causes of death) or 0.876 when the ope rative mortality was included. Univariate analysis showed a significan t survival difference according to the presence or absence of submucos al invasion (p = 0.02, Log-Rank test) and lymph node invasion (p = 0.0 4, age greater than or less than 50 years (p = 0.03) and according to the type of resection performed (total gastrectomy with gastric and pe rigastric lymph node dissection or subtotal gastrectomy with incomplet e lymph node dissection (p = 0.05). Eleven patients died from cancer r ecurrence, one is still alive with a recurrence of the gastric stump. The other deaths were due to cancers of other organs (6), cardiovascul ar disease (2), pneumonia (3), septicaemia (1) and a car accident. Alt hough the prognosis of early gastric cancer is relatively favourable i n European countries, patients must be carefully followed for a long p eriod because of recurrences and the high incidence of cancers in othe r organs.