Factors correlated with early and late recurrence after curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer.
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.
Ogata
Kyoichi
K
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
Mochiki
Erito
E
Yanai
Mitsuhiro
M
Toyomasu
Yoshitaka
Y
Ando
Hiroyuki
H
Ohno
Tetsuro
T
Aihara
Ryuusuke
R
Asao
Takayuki
T
Kuwano
Hiroyuki
H
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*
D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen