Carcinoma of the stomach: a review with special reference to total gastrectomy.

Five hundred and eleven patients with adenocarcinoma of the stomach were reviewed. Weight loss and abdominal pain were the most common symptoms. One-third of patients were found to have proximal gastric lesions with dysphagia being a major symptom in 23% of all patients. Laparotomy was performed on 88% of patients with 56% of the entire series undergoing gastric resection. The overall 5-year survival rate was 12.3% and for curative resection 43%. The 5-year survival rate of patients undergoing total gastrectomy was 53% and for patients undergoing subtotal or partial gastrectomy the 5-year survival rate was 42%. The operative mortality, similar in both groups, was 8.1% versus 5.6%. Palliation was better achieved by resection than bypass. Total gastrectomy for palliation was undertaken in 48 patients. This group of patients has achieved a good quality of life and a mean survival rate of 12.5 months.