RESULTS OF RESECTION OF GASTRIC-CANCER WITH DISTANT METASTASES

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The present study was carried out in order to examine the outcome of resection in cases of gastric cancer with distant meta stases. METHODOLOGY: The survival rates of two hundred and eighty-one patients who had undergone resection for primary carcinomas of the sto mach, and who had distant metastases according to the TNM classificati on, were studied. RESULTS: The 5-year survival rates for patients with metastasis to the peritoneum or group 3 nodes were 8.9% and 15.3% res pectively and were significantly higher than the survival rates for pa tients with metastasis to the liver (0%), to group 4 nodes (2.2%) or t o more than one site among the liver, lymph nodes and peritoneum (3.5% ). Moreover, the 5-year survival rates for patients with metastasis to the peritoneum and N3 nodes increased significantly to 29.4% and 24.2 %, respectively, when curative surgery was performed. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study suggests that metastases to the adjacen t peritoneum or group 3 nodes have a greater chance of being cured usi ng radical surgery, and that gastrectomy with extended lymphadenectomy (D2-D3) may be used for advanced gastric cancer if there is no gross evidence of metastasis to the distant peritoneum, liver or group 4 nod es.