Early cancer of the gastric remnant--with special emphasis on the importance of follow-up of gastrectomized patients.

Seven patients with early cancer of the gastric remnant (group 1) and nine with gastric remnant cancer which developed after surgery for early gastric cancer (group 2), were studied clinicopathologically. The findings can be summarized as follows: In group 1, the majority of cases were classified as type I by gross type. Most lesions were in the posterior wall of the remnant stomach. All lesions were differentiated carcinomas. In group 2, of the nine early gastric tumors resected at the initial surgery, six were present at site A and three at site M. The gross type of the tumor was varied. Six patients underwent a Billroth II, and two a Billroth I, resection. The findings at the second operation (for gastric remnant cancer) showed that five lesions were located in the gastric stump or anastomosed region and four in the posterior or anterior wall of the remnant stomach. Histologically, the lesions included four undifferentiated and five differentiated carcinomas. Of the nine lesions involving the gastric remnant, only two were at an early stage, the remaining seven being at an advanced stage. The outcome was extremely poor in this group. Many of the patients died of carcinomatous peritonitis. In summary, a large percentage of the patients of group 1 had a type I lesion in the remnant stomach. In group 2, more than half of the lesions were located in the gastric stump or at the site of the anastomosis, and the majority of the lesions were at an advanced stage.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)