Surgery for stage IV gastric cancer.
BACKGROUND
Surgical treatment for stage IV gastric cancer is controversial.


METHODS
We analyzed the surgical experience with advanced gastric carcinoma in a tertiary referral center in Mexico City from 1995 through 2000. We analyzed surgical morbidity, mortality, and factors associated with prognosis. Survival was analyzed with the Kaplan-Meier method, and the curves were compared with the log-rank test. Significance was assigned at P <0.05.


RESULTS
Seventy-six cases were identified. Mean patient age was 56 +/- 14.5 years. Thirty-nine patients (51.3%) were women. Patients were grouped according to surgical procedure: group 1 underwent resection (40 patients), group 2 underwent bypass procedures (10 patients), and group 3 underwent either celiotomy and biopsy alone or jejunostomy placement (26 patients). Twenty patients (26%) developed operative complications, but most were minor. There was no difference in morbidity between surgical groups and no difference according to patient's age. Operative mortality was 2.6%. Good palliation of symptoms was significantly more common in group 1 patients (82%) than in group 2 patients (60%) (P = 0.0001). Median survival was 8 months (95% confidence interval 4 to 12) for the entire cohort and 13, 5, and 3 months for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (P = 0.00001 for group 1 vs groups 2 and 3).


CONCLUSIONS
Surgical resection for stage IV gastric cancer can be done with low operative mortality and acceptable morbidity rates, and it provides patients with good symptomatic relief. Advanced patient age is not a contraindication for surgical treatment.
Medina-Franco
Heriberto
H
Salvador Zubiran National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Vasco de Quiroga 15, Tlalpan, Mexico City 14000, Mexico. herimd@hotmail.com
Contreras-Saldívar
Alan
A
Ramos-De La Medina
Antonio
A
Palacios-Sanchez
Pedro
P
Cortés-González
Rubén
R
Ugarte
Javier Alvarez-Tostado
JA
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*