Laparotomy with a curative intent in patients with suspected locally recurrent gastric cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Most recurrent gastric tumors are unsuitable for further resection or palliative surgery. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of re-resection in patients with local-regional recurrences of gastric cancer.


METHODS
Between 1998 and 2007, 26 patients underwent laparotomy for local-regional gastric cancer recurrence. Length of time to recurrence, recurrence patterns, operative procedures, morbidity, mortality and survival after re-resection were evaluated.


RESULTS
Re-resection was possible in 13 patients (50%). Among patients with resectable tumors, survival times were markedly longer, with 2 patients reaching 60 months of survival and 2 other patients reaching 48 and 28 months, respectively. Among patients with early recurrence, peritoneal carcinomatosis was more common. After re-resection, morbidity and mortality were seen, each in one patient.


CONCLUSIONS
Most of the re-resected recurrences were intraluminal. In patients with early recurrences of gastric cancer, peritoneal carcinomatosis was encountered most frequently. Re-resection was beneficial and long-term survival was achieved after re-resection.
Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Turkiye Yuksek Ihtisas Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. ilterozer@yahoo.com
Ilter
I
Ozer
E Birol
EB
Bostanci
Yusuf
Y
Ozogul
Murat
M
Ulas
Metin
M
Ercan
Can
C
Kece
Taner
T
Orug
Fuat
F
Atalay
Musa
M
Akoglu
D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007813:Laparotomy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*