Clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of synchronous multifocal gastric carcinomas.
BACKGROUND
We sought to define differences between multifocal and solitary gastric carcinoma to decrease the risk of missing a cancer while resecting another more evident carcinoma.


METHODS
We retrospectively examined clinicopathologic characteristics of multifocal gastric carcinoma including anatomic distribution and postoperative survival.


RESULTS
Multifocal gastric carcinoma was seen more frequently when patients were older and when the largest tumor was small and at an early stage. More than half of accessory lesions were located near the main tumor. No significant difference in postoperative survival was seen between patients with multifocal and solitary carcinoma, whether early or advanced.


CONCLUSIONS
The entire stomach should be examined carefully before and during resection, especially when local or endoscopic surgery is performed.
Otsuji
Eigo
E
Department of Surgery, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kawaramachi Hirokoji Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan. otsuji@koto.kpu-m.ac.jp
Kuriu
Yoshiaki
Y
Ichikawa
Daisuke
D
Okamoto
Kazuma
K
Hagiwara
Akeo
A
Yamagishi
Hisakazu
H
D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016019:Survival Analysis