Significant risk factors of recurrence in muscularis proprial carcinoma of the stomach.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study is to elucidate significant risk factors of recurrence in muscularis proprial gastric cancer (MPGC).

METHODOLOGY

Seventy-three patients who underwent curative gastrectomy for MPGC were divided into 14 patients with postoperative recurrence (Group 1) and 59 patients without recurrence (Group 2). A retrospective study of Group 1 compared the clinicopathological features with Group 2.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences of age, gender and operative method including frequency of lymph node dissection between Group 1 and Group 2. Although tumor size, gastric location and histological type did not significantly differ between the two groups, the rate of Borrman type in Group 1 (71.4%) was significantly higher than in Group 2 (42.4%). Significant risk factors of recurrence in pathological findings were the presence of secondary lymph node metastasis or more, lymphatic and venous involvement. Median survival in Group 1 (28.8 months) was significantly worse than in Group 2 (59.0 months). The 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year survival rates between Group 1 versus Group 2 were 71.4% versus 98.3% (p<0.01), 28.6% versus 96.7% (p<0.01), and 7. 1% versus 95.0 (p<0.01), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Prognosis of the postoperative recurrence in MPGC was very poor. More careful prophylactic treatment against recurrence of MPGC should therefore, be prescribed in patients with the aforementioned risk factors of recurrence.