GASTRIC REMNANT CANCER HAS A BETTER PROGNOSIS THAN PRIMARY GASTRIC-CANCER

Objective: To study the prognosis of gastric remnant cancer following radical resection (group 1) compared with that of primary gastric canc er of the upper third of the stomach following radical resection (grou p 2). Design: Cohort study with a 5-year follow-up. Setting: A univers ity hospital in Austria. Patients: Group 1 consisted of 43 patients, a nd group 2, of 61. Postoperative deaths and deaths during the follow-u p period that were not related to gastric cancer were excluded. Fiftee n patients in group 1 (34.9%) presented with stage I cancer; 10 (23.3% ), stage II; 13 (30.2%), stage III; and five (11.6%), stage IV. Twenty patients in group 2 (32.8%) presented with stage I cancer; 12 (19.7%) , stage II; 15 (24.6%), stage III; and 14 (22.9%), stage IV (Union Int ernationale Contre le Cancer staging classification, 1987). Main Outco me Measures: Overall and stage-related 5-year survival rates. Results: The overall 5-year survival rate was 53.5% in group 1 and 32.8%;, in group 2 (P<.05). The stage-related 5-year survival rate in group 1 was 100% for stage I and 80% for stage II. In group 2, the stage-related 5-year survival rate was 65% for stage I and 25% for stage II (both, P <.01). No significant difference was noted for stages III and IV. Conc lusion: The prognosis of cancer of the gastric remnant presenting as s tage I or II is good and is significantly better than that of the equi valent stages of primary cancer of the upper third of the stomach.