title: Prognostic factors in patients with diffuse type gastric cancer (linitis plastica) after operative treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Treatment options for patients with diffuse type gastric cancer (linitis plastica) are discussed controversial. It is sometimes discussed that these patients should be treated primarily in palliative intention conservative without resection.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a single-center analysis, we investigated 120 patients with diffuse type gastric cancer. All patients underwent a total gastrectomy, 45 patients even a multivisceral resection because of infiltrating growth, or metastases. Serum tumor marker CEA, CA 72-4, and CA 19-9 were recorded in all patients before surgery. An immunocytochemical detection of free peritoneal tumor cells (FPTC) using Ber-EP4 antibody was correlated with tumor stage and survival. Median follow-up time was 38 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complete resection rate was 31% (n = 37). 61% (n = 73) of all patients had already distant metastases at the time of surgery, 80% of them peritoneal carcinomatosis. Median survival for the whole group was 8 months, after complete resection 17 months. Lavage cytology, distant metastases, resection rate, and CA19-9 levels had significant influence on survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A significant survival advantage for patients with diffuse type gastric cancer can only be achived after complete resection. We could define a subset of patients with an extremely poor prognosis even after surgical resection. Meticulous preoperative staging, including a diagnostic laparoscopy to exclude peritoneal carcinomatosis and free peritoneal tumor cells before resection should be mandatory in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of General-, Visceral-, and Pediatric Surgery, Universitaetsklinikum Duesseldorf, Heinrich Heine Universitaet, Moorenstrasse 5, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany. matthias.schauer@med.uni-duesseldorf.de
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schauer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peiper
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Theisen
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Knoefel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000473:pathology; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008039:Linitis Plastica / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen