ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Despite radical lymph node dissection and combined resection, the operative result of progressive gastric cancer remains unsatisfactory. The prognosis of gastric cancer has not been improved. In case of recurred gastric cancer, the problem is low curative resection rate. We tried to study the pattem of recurrence after curative resection for gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We had retrospectively analyzed the recurrence pattern of 191 patients who recurred after curative resection of gastric cancer. We analyzed the interval between operation and recurrence, primary tumor location, tumor histologic type, Borrmann's type, pathologic stage, DNA ploidy pattem and lymph node metastasis. RESULT: The number of recurred gastric cancer patients was 191. The M: F ratio was 2.03: 1. Seven cases were early gastric cancer. The interval between operation and recurrence was from 1 month to 130 months. The early recurrence within 24 months was found in 147 patients (77.0%), the intermediate recurrence from 25 months to 60 months was found in 38 patients (19.9%), the late reeurrence after 60 months was found in 6 patients (3.1%). The pattems of recurrence were as follows: loco-regional recurience, including lymph node and site of anastomosis, was found in 51 cases, liver metastasis in 37 cases, peritoneal metastasis in 74 cases, extraperitoneal metastasis in 29 cases including Virchows node. In undifferentiated cancer, peritoneal metastasis was higher than in other histologic types (p<0.05). 59 cases was found in stage IV, 47 cases in stage IIIb, 43 cases in stage IIIa, 31 cases in stage II, 8 cases in stage Ib, and 3 cases in stage Ia. We found peritoneal metastasis was very high in stage IIIb. The 5-year survival was better in loco-regional group than that of other patterns of recurrence. CONCLUSION: Recurrence after operation was found within 24 months, that in most of patients, so the follow up is very important in this period and the recurred pattem after curative resection for gastric cancer was related with cell differentiation of primary tumor and stage. In local recurrence, the survival rate was higher than the other pattern of recurrence.