Chronologic comparison of postoperative results in gastric cancer surgery.

Patients who underwent gastric cancer surgery in our clinic during a 12-year period from 1960--1971 were divided into two groups. Group A is comprised of patients who were treated in the first, and group B of patients treated in the second half of this 12-year period and the short- and long-term results were evaluated and compared for both groups. We discovered that both short- and long-term results were better in group B than in group A. Group B contained more cases of histologically early cancer stages and extensive lymph node resection was performed more frequently in group B than in group A. These factors may account for the better results obtained for group B. In addition, performance of gastrectomy combined with the resection of other neighboring organs may have effected the better long-term results observed in group B.