title: Changing patterns in advanced gastric carcinoma.
abstract: A retrospective study on patients with gastric cancer during the periods 1984-88 (n = 63 patients) and 1989-93 (n = 59 patients) was made. The aim of the study was to assess any changing patterns in tumour distribution, surgical management and survival during the two periods. When the diagnosis was made, the majority of tumours were advanced: 58 were stage IV and 21 were stage IIIB, with 43 tumours at earlier stages. The incidence of proximally located gastric adenocarcinomas increased from 15.9 to 27.1%, while the incidence of carcinomas located in the body decreased from 34.9 to 23.7%. The majority of patients underwent conservative gastrectomy. The proportion of proximal gastrectomies increased from 3.2 to 15.3 per cent (p = 0.02), whereas the proportion of combined resection of adjacent organs decreased from 38.1 to 22.0 per cent (p = 0.04). Perioperative mortality rate decreased from 17.5 to 1.7 per cent (p = 0.003). Prognosis remained unchanged in the two periods; overall 5-year survival is calculated as 12 per cent.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Science, University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kouraklis
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Misiakos
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papachristodoulou
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Papavasiliou
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Glinavou
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Karatzas
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D015996:Survival Rate