GASTRIC REMNANT CARCINOMA - JUST ANOTHER PROXIMAL GASTRIC-CANCER OR AUNIQUE ENTITY

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer that occurs 5 or more years after distal ga stric resection for benign disease is defined as gastric remnant carci noma (GRC). The purpose of this study was to determine whether postres ection outcome differs between GRC and primary proximal gastric cancer (PPGC). METHODS: Twenty-five patients with GRC who underwent resectio n between August 1985 and July 1994 were compared with 79 PPGC patient s who underwent resection during the same time period. RESULTS: Overal l actuarial 5-year disease-specific survival was 63% for curatively re sected GRC patients and 37% for the curatively resected PPGC patients (P = 0.1, log rank). No significant differences in survival were seen between the two groups when stratified for stage. On multivariate anal ysis of significant predictors of outcome for the 104 patients as a gr oup, only the ability to do a curative resection was significant. CONC LUSION: The outcome following resection of GRC is no different from th at of other primary proximal gastric cancers of the same stage. Every effort should be made to perform a curative resection, as this is a si gnificant predictor of outcome. (C) 1997 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.