title: The role of follow-up endoscopy after total gastrectomy for gastric cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Follow-up endoscopy after total gastrectomy for gastric cancer is commonly performed without there being any definite evidence of clinical relevance. Therefore, we investigated the role of the upper endoscopic examinations after total gastrectomy for gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of 212 early gastric cancer (EGC) patients and 622 advanced gastric cancer (AGC) patients who underwent follow-up endoscopic examination after total gastrectomy between 1994 and 2001 were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two of 212 EGC patients and 233 of 622 AGC patients revealed tumour recurrence at all sites. All the endoscopically accessible local tumour recurrences (n=24) were found in the AGC group. Anastomosis site stenosis was detected in 72 of 834 patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Follow-up endoscopy after total gastrectomy for gastric cancer is useful in detecting complications and tumour recurrence. However, this procedure has a limited role in the clinical management and overall survival for patients with recurrent gastric adenocarcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Irwon-dong 50, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 135-710, South Korea.
authors.forename: S-Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Y-H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: P-L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Paik
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Sohn
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000175:diagnosis; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016019:Survival Analysis