Evaluation of tumor growth rate in patients with early gastric carcinoma of the elevated type.

The growth rates of elevated-type early gastric carcinoma in 12 patients were determined chronologically using serial radiographs. Eight progressed from an early to an advanced stage during periods of observation ranging from 4-82 months (mean 31.7 months), while four patients were still in an early stage at final examination, despite an increase in tumor size. The tumor volume doubling months) but varied considerably among patients. Aggressive endoscopy should be performed for all elevated lesions of the stomach because they can harbor malignancy; some can grow rapidly as reported here.