title: Surgically curable and incurable scirrhous carcinomas of the stomach.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to identify a subgroup of patients with scirrhous carcinoma of the stomach who are more suitable for surgery by analysis of their clinicopathologic characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-three patients with scirrhous gastric carcinoma who underwent gastrectomy between 1979 and 1994 were included in the study. Clinicopathological characteristics of 5-year survivors and nonsurvivors were compared. A multivariate analysis of various prognostic factors was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 5-year survival rate was 31.4%; 78% (28/36) of nonsurvivors died of malignant ascites and only 8% (3/36) died of hepatic or lung metastasis. When clinicopathologic parameters of 5-year survivors and nonsurvivors were compared, age, tumor size, macroscopic appearance, pT, pN, pM, stage, peritoneal lavage cytology, residual tumor, extent of gastric resection, operation time, volume of blood loss, and transfusion were significantly different. By the multivariate analysis, residual tumor, pathological depth of tumor infiltration, blood transfusion, and histological type were the independent prognostic factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prognosis of scirrhous carcinoma of the stomach is mainly determined by the depth of penetration and curability. In order to obtain better survival, early detection of tumor while it is limited to T2 stage appeared most important. Aggressive surgery would be indicated for T3 tumors, but in the case of T4 tumors, extent of operation should be determined by other factors such as extent of nodal metastasis or presence of distant metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, Shimane Medical University, Izumo, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kinugasa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tachibana
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshimura
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Monden
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Dhar
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nagasue
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagaoka
mesh_terms: D002293:Adenocarcinoma, Scirrhous / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D015996:Survival Rate