[Necessities, possibilities and difficulties of vocational rehabilitation in patients with early stomach carcinoma--experiences in 89 patients].

Because of the favourable prognosis in patients with early stomach cancer even extensive vocational rehabilitation measures should be taken into consideration. Opposed to that is the fact that about 40% of these patients already exceed the age limit for employment and only 10% are younger than 45 years. The polymorbidity, too, is relatively high, 21% of our patients were not capable of employment already before the outbreak of their cancer disease. The postgastrectomy syndrome prevents 40% from resuming work within the first postoperative year and jeopardizes the working capacity even after that time, at least in patients with manual occupations.