Clinicopathological analysis of the intestinal type and diffuse type of gastric carcinoma.

A clinicopathological study of gastric carcinoma was carried out according to Lauren's classification, on 207 patients, who underwent gastric resection at Department of Surgery II, Kyushu University, Faculty of Medicine from 1970 to 1972. Among them 93 cases (44.9%) were of intestinal-type carcinoma, 71 (34.3%) of diffuse carcinoma and 43 (20.8%) of other types. Intestinal-type carcinoma, often showing the protuberant type, was more common in the aged and in men. Most had a low grade of penetration, while in some, the penetration was moderate to high grade and was associated with lymph node metastasis, lymphatic and vascular involvement, or liver metastasis. Hematogenous recurrence was not infrequent. Diffuse carcinoma was more common in younger subjects and women, and was often of the depressed type. The serosa was involved in most cases. High grade penetration was associated with lymphatic permeation. Metastasis via the bloodstream was infrequent. Recurrence was often due to peritoneal dissemination. A better prognosis was indicated in cases of diffuse carcinoma with no serosal involvement, while prognosis in cases of invasion of the serosa was worse for diffuse carcinoma than for intestinal-type carcinoma.