title: Factors correlated with early and late recurrence after curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the present study was to establish an effective follow-up method to analyze the features of patients who relapsed after curative gastrectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  At the Department of General Surgical Science, Gunma University, 44 of 321 patients who underwent curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer from 2002 to 2006 were found to relapse. The patients were divided into an early-recurrence group (n = 23; relapse within one year of gastrectomy) and a late-recurrence group (n = 21; relapse one year or more after gastrectomy). The clinicopathological features were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients in the early-recurrence group were characterized by a high level of lymph node metastases (> or = N2), Stage IIIB, and the presence of vascular invasion (v2, v3). On a multiple logistic regression analysis, the depth of wall invasion (> or = T3), level of lymph node metastases (> or = N2), and degree of vascular invasion (v2, v3) were significantly correlated with recurrence within one year of gastrectomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Careful follow-up including frequent imaging diagnosis, e.g., using computed tomography (CT), is required for patients with a high risk of recurrence.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgical Science, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, 371-8511 Gunma, Japan. kogata@med.gunma-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kyoichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogata
authors.forename: Erito
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mochiki
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yanai
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Toyomasu
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: Ryuusuke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aihara
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Asao
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuwano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen