Outcome of surgical treatment for patients with scirrhous carcinoma of the stomach

Background: Postoperative survival in patients with scirrhous gastric carcinoma is poorer than that in patients with other gastric carcinomas. Methods: We retrospectively examined outcome in patients with scirrhous gastric carcinoma who underwent gastrectomy to determine how to increase postoperative survival. Postoperative survival in patients with scirrhous gastric carcinoma was compared with that in patients having other gastric cancers overall and by disease stage. Prognostic factors were examined for all patients including those with stage III disease. Results: By multivariate analysis, disease stage, patient age, and scirrhous carcinoma were significant prognostic factors. Five-year survival in patients with stage III scirrhous carcinoma was significantly worse than those with other stage III gastric carcinomas. Extent of lymphadenectomy was one of the variables influencing survival in patients with stage III scirrhous carcinoma. Conclusions: Gastrectomy with extended lymphadenectomy should be performed to maximize survival in patients with stage III scirrhous gastric carcinoma. (C) 2004 Excerpta Medica, Inc. All rights reserved.