Early and late gastric cancer arising in the remnant stomach after distal gastrectomy

AIM: Following distal gastrectomy, carcinogenesis has been suggested to result from gastroduodenal reflux. In this study, surgical cases of gastric cancer arising after distal gastrectomy were analyzed clinico-pathologically and the possible link to reflux examined. PATIENTS: Thirty-two patients (24 males, 8 females; mean age, 68.7 years; age range, 33-84 years) with gastric cancer arising in the remnant stomach after gastrectomy (also known as gastric stump cancer) were included in this study. Patients were divided into two groups on the basis of the initial diagnosis (benign or malignant) prompting surgery, and distal gastrectomy reconstruction method (Billroth I or II). RESULTS: The interval between distal gastrectomy and detection of cancer in the remnant stomach of patients treated initially for a benign gastric condition vs. malignancy was 360+/-33.04 and 63+/-19.16 months (median+/-SE), respectively (p<0.0001). However, the benign and malignant groups did not differ significantly in the clinicopathological analysis of their stump cancers. All 10 patients in whom gastric cancer was diagnosed within five years of initial surgery had initially been surgically treated for malignancy. The interval between surgery and detection of gastric cancer in the Billroth I and Billroth II groups was 84+/-26.67 and 276+/-44.26 months (median+/-SE), respectively (p<0.01). In the remnant stomach, cancer tended to occur near the site of gastrojejunostomy in the Billroth II group (p=0.05). Helicobacter pylori infection was only detected histologically in four patients who had undergone Billroth I reconstructions after distal gastrectomy for malignancy. CONCLUSION: After distal gastrectomy, careful periodic endoscopic examination for microcarcinoma is required in patients, particularly in those who undergo surgery for malignancy, to maximize detection of gastric cancer.     

Clinicopathological analysis of synchronous multiple gastric carcinoma

Clinicopathological analysis was performed on 839 cases surgically resected for gastric carcinoma. The incidence of multiple gastric carcinoma was 4.8% (40 cases, 97 lesions). Multiple carcinoma was more frequently observed in early than in advanced carcinoma (P less than 0.01). The rate of intestinal type lesions was significantly (P less than 0.01) higher in multiple than in single gastric carcinoma, and all of the intestinal type carcinoma correlated with intestinal metaplasia, which is assumed to be closely related to pyloric and atrophic fundic gland area. Eight cases (20.0%) of multiple carcinoma were both in the upper one-third and lower one-third of the stomach. Twenty-nine (51.9%) of the accessory lesions were not detected pre-operatively; 12 (21.1%) of them were detected only by postoperative histology. Twelve (48.0%) of 25 early cancerous foci located in the anterior wall and greater curvature were overlooked before operation. These results indicate that the whole stomach must be carefully examined to detect accessory carcinoma before gastric surgery, especially for intestinal type carcinoma, with greater attention paid to the anterior wall and greater curvature, and that complete removal of the pyloric and atrophic fundic gland area would be required for distal gastrectomy.     

Proximal gastrectomy as the surgical procedure of choice for upper gastric carcinoma

To assess the efficacy of proximal gastrectomy in the treatment of upper gastric carcinoma, we analyzed clinical data from patients with lesions confined to the upper third of the stomach (group 1) and from patients with lesions which, while primarily located in the upper portion of the stomach, showed spread to the body of the stomach (group 2). Patients in group 2 showed more metastatic lymph node involvement, particularly of the infrapyloric lymph nodes, which were not included in lymphadenectomy accompanying proximal gastrectomy. None of the group 1 patients demonstrated metastasis to the infrapyloric lymph nodes. The postoperative 5-year survival rate in curatively operated group 1 patients was not significantly different between those treated by proximal gastrectomy and those subjected to total gastrectomy. We conclude that proximal gastrectomy is indicated in patients with upper gastric carcinoma when it is confined to the upper third of the stomach.     

Clinical management of gastric cancer and concomitant esophagogastric varices

We report the late results of treatment of 13 consecutive patients with gastric cancer and concomitant esophagogastric varices. Of seven good-risk patients classified as Child's class A or B, gastrectomy together with selective shunt operation was performed in two, total gastrectomy with splenectomy in three, and distal partial gastrectomy with paraesophageal devascularization without splenectomy in one. The remaining patient with early gastric cancer underwent distal partial gastrectomy following repeated endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) for treatment of the esophageal varices. Although the majority of patients who underwent surgical repair of varices (i.e., shunt, splenectomy, or devascularization) died, total gastrectomy with splenectomy was the only procedure that led to control of the esophageal varices. Since partial gastrectomy combined with EIS limits the morbidity and mortality of an extensive resection and at the same time controls esophageal variceal bleeding, it is probably the procedure of choice for patients with a carcinoma in the lower two-thirds of the stomach. Concerning non-surgical cases, two patients were effectively treated using laser endoscopy and EIS, without the occurrence of variceal bleeding. The remaining four patients, given chemotherapy or irradiation for treatment of gastric carcinoma, died within 4 months with variceal bleeding or liver failure. For the poor-risk patients with evidence of severe liver dysfunction, laser treatment and EIS would be the treatment of choice.     

Microsatellite instability in patients with gastric remnant cancer

Background. About 2% of patients who undergo partial distal gastrectomy for gastroduodenal diseases develop gastric remnant cancer 10 to 30 years after the gastrectomy. It is important in clinical practice to determine a molecular marker to identify patients susceptible to gastric remnant cancer. Methods. We investigated nine gastric remnant cancers (from nine individuals who had gastrectomies for primary gastric cancer or gastroduodenal ulcer) for microsatellite instability (MSI) at six loci, using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A control group of ten patients with sporadic gastric cancers in the upper third of the stomach was also similarly analyzed. Results. MSI was demonstrated in eight of nine cancers from the individuals who had had primary gastric cancer or gastroduodenal ulcer (88.9%) compared with two of ten cancers from the individuals with sporadic gastric cancer in the upper third of the stomach (20%). Conclusion. These results suggest that one or more MSI is associated with remnant gastric cancer after gastrectomy. Received on Sept. 6, 1999; accepted on Dec. 20, 1999     

Efficacy of Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection for Cancer of the Operated Stomach

Purpose

Cancer can develop in the operated stomach after partial gastrectomy and in the reconstructed gastric tube after surgery for esophageal cancer. It is considered that endoscopic therapy is more safe and suitable for the early gastric cancer developed in such stomach than operation. We investigated the efficacy of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for cancer of the operated stomach.

Methods

Subjects were 669 gastric cancer patients who underwent ESD: 22 patients (23 lesions) had surgically altered gastric anatomy, whereas 647 patients (727 lesions) had normal gastric anatomy. In the altered gastric anatomy group, 13 patients, 6 patients, and 3 patients had previously undergone distal gastrectomy, gastric tube reconstruction, and proximal gastrectomy, respectively. Rates of complete en bloc resection and curative resection were compared between the two groups. Influence of an anastomotic site and/or a suture line on ESD outcomes was examined in the altered gastric anatomy group.

Results

The rate of complete en bloc resection by ESD was 82.6 % (19/23 lesions) in the altered gastric anatomy group and 92.3 % (671/727 lesions) in the normal gastric anatomy group. The rate of curative resection and incident rates of complications were not significantly different between the groups. In the altered gastric anatomy group, the rate of complete en bloc resection was significantly lower when a lesion had spread across an anastomotic site and/or a suture line (P?=?0.0372). Furthermore, duration of ESD was significantly longer (P?=?0.0276), and resection efficiency was significantly lower (13 mm²/min, P?=?0.0283), when treating lesions with an anastomotic site and/or a suture line than when treating isolated lesions.

Conclusions

Outcome of ESD for cancer of the operated stomach compares with that in normal stomach anatomy. Anastomotic site/suture line within a lesion influenced the ESD procedure.     

Early carcinoma of the gastric cardia in Japan: is it different from that in the West?

BACKGROUND: The incidence of adenocarcinoma of the gastric cardia has increased recently in the West. However, in Japan, most patients with gastric carcinoma have disease that is situated in the body and the distal stomach. The objectives of this study were to compare the clinicopathologic findings of patients with early gastric carcinoma (EGC) arising at the cardia and those with carcinoma in more distal parts of the stomach, then comparing the findings with those from patients with carcinoma of the gastric cardia in the West. METHODS: Three thousand one hundred forty-four patients with EGC who underwent surgical resection between 1962 and 1997 at the National Cancer Center Hospital in Tokyo were studied. Seventy patients with EGC at the cardia were compared with those who had lesions in the middle and lower parts of the stomach. The body mass index (BMI), smoking, and drinking were evaluated using all patients with cardia EGC and 344 patients in a matched cohort in the latter group. RESULTS: Seventy patients had an EGC located just at the cardia, whereas 2796 patients had lesions in the lower two-thirds of the stomach. The former lesions were different from those in the distal two-thirds of the stomach: More often, they were of an elevated type (34% vs. 14%, respectively, they were histologically well differentiated in 89% (vs. 59%), and there were more submucosal tumors (53% vs. 41%). The BMI, smoking, and drinking in the two groups were not different. The incidence of Barrett esophagus and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in patients with EGC were 2. 9% (2 of 70 patients) and 5.7% (4 of 70 patients), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: There were many significant differences in clinicopathologic characteristics between patients with carcinoma of the cardia and patients with carcinoma of the distal stomach in Japan. The incidence of early cardia carcinoma was very low in Japan, and obesity, smoking, drinking, Barrett esophagus, or GERD were not related to its occurrence, in contrast to reports in the West.     

A clinicopathological study in young patients with gastric carcinoma.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Gastric carcinoma rarely affects young patients. This study was undertaken in order to clarify the clinicopathological features and prognosis of young patients with gastric carcinoma. METHODS: The resected 107 specimens from 105 patients younger than 30 years of age with gastric carcinoma were investigated using hematoxylin and eosin stain. RESULTS: The male:female ratio was 1:1.6. Histologically, poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma was the most common type (94/107, 87.9%) (P < 0.001). Most tumors were located in the middle third of the stomach (P < 0.001). All patients had depressed lesions. The 5-year survival rates of early and advanced gastric carcinoma were 100% (30/30) and 23.5% (8/34), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Characteristic clinicopathological features in young patients, such as gender ratio, tumor location, macroscopic type, and histological type, were different from those in older ones. The prognosis of early gastric carcinoma in young patients was much better than that in older patients, although the prognosis of advanced gastric carcinoma in young patients was worse than that of older patients. These findings seem to indicate that young patients with early gastric carcinoma can tolerate radical treatments well; however, the aggressiveness of lesions are emphasized in patients with advanced gastric carcinoma.     

Early gastric carcinoma: spread and multicentricity

Background: In early gastric carcinoma (EGC), after subtotal gastrectomy, recurrent lesions limited to the gastric remnant are the cause of about 20% of deaths from recurrence. Therefore, it has been suggested to perform total gastrectomy in all cases of EGC. Methods: We studied a case series of 82 consecutive patients operated on for an EGC, with a mean follow-up time of 72 months (range, 1–120 months). Subtotal distal gastrectomy was performed 61 patients, total gastrectomy in 15, and other procedures in 6. Outcome measures were recurrence and causes of mortality, focusing on patients with resection line involvement and multifocal lesions. Results: EGC was limited to the mucosa in 43 patients and had invaded the submucosa in 39. Ten patients had a lymph node involvement. In 4 patients having had a subtotal gastrectomy, resection line involvement was detected. In 3 patients, the involvement was detected peroperatively on frozen sections, and a re-resection was performed. In the fourth patient, the involvement was detected postoperatively, but follow-up endoscopies failed to show any residual tumor. In 17 patients, multifocal lesions were observed. No recurrence was observed in the gastric remnant of patients having undergone a subtotal gastrectomy. Conclusion: In distal EGC, a subtotal gastrectomy may be performed under two conditions: (1) careful endoscopic and peroperative examination of the upper part of the stomach to detect multifocal lesions and (2) a systematic frozen-section assessment of the resection margin to avoid inadequate resection. Received: November 12, 2001 / Accepted: February 3, 2002 Offprint requests to: M. Huguier     

胃切除后食管癌手术方法选择

 目的　探讨胃大部切除或全胃切除后再患食管癌手术治疗术式。方法　回顾分析 1990年 1月至 2 0 0 1年 12月收治胃切除术后再患食管癌 2 9例资料。食管癌切除后的消化道重建方式 :残胃代食管术 2 0例、空肠代食管术 3例、结肠代食管术 6例。结果　 2 9例除 1例颈部食管结肠吻合口瘘、1例胸部食管残胃吻合口瘘、1例吻合口狭窄、3例肺部感染、其余均Ⅰ期愈合。结论　胃大部切除术后食管中下段癌采用残胃代食管术 ,食管中上段癌行结肠代食管术更为合理     

A case of primary gastric small cell carcinoma with a rare pattern of lymph node metastasis

We report a very rare case of primary gastric small cell carcinoma (GSCC) that was accompanied with gastric tubular adenocarcinoma. A male in his 60s had an elevated tumor with a central ulceration in the middle stomach. The patient underwent a distal gastrectomy with lymph node dissection. The pathological examination showed two separated lesions of the stomach, which contained the components of primary GSCC and primary gastric tubular adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemical (IHC) examination demonstrated that the tumor cells in the small cell carcinoma stained positive for synaptophysin, chromogranin A, and neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM). GSCC cells and adenocarcinoma cells independently metastasized to each regional lymph node. Further studies on the biological behavior of individual tumors may allow the development of new treatment strategies for GSCC.     

Total gastrectomy with simultaneous pancreaticosplenectomy or splenectomy in patients with advanced gastric carcinoma

A splenectomy or distal pancreaticosplenectomy is often performed simultaneously with total gastrectomy in the treatment of gastric carcinoma to facilitate dissection of the lymph nodes around the splenic artery and splenic hilus. However, the negative impact of splenectomy and pancreaticosplenectomy has also been reported. A retrospective analysis was performed to evaluate the outcomes of distal pancreaticosplenectomy and total gastrectomy, splenectomy and total gastrectomy, and gastrectomy alone in the patients with advanced gastric carcinoma without distant metastasis. Prognostic factors were examined. No significant differences existed in 5-year survival in the patients who underwent gastrectomy with splenectomy, gastrectomy with distal pancreaticosplenectomy, or gastrectomy alone. Neither splenectomy, nor distal pancreaticosplenectomy were prognostic factors. However, distal pancreaticosplenectomy was an independent predictor of pancreatic fistula. In conclusion, the addition of distal pancreaticosplenectomy or splenectomy to total gastrectomy for gastric cancer increases the risk of severe complications, but does not improve survival.     

Gastric carcinoid tumors with aggressive lymphovascular invasion and lymph node metastasis

We report a patient with multiple gastric carcinoid tumors without hypergastrinemia. An abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan was performed in a 66-year-old Japanese man who had abdominal discomfort. An abnormal, round, 2.5cm mass close to the lesser curvature of the stomach was detected. Multiple small gastric carcinoid tumors were also detected by endoscopy. A total gastrectomy with lymph node dissection was performed after it was determined that the round mass was a lymph node metastasis of carcinoid tumor. Further pathological investigation of the surgical specimen revealed multiple gastric carcinoid tumors with severe lymphovascular invasion. The carcinoid tumors in the present patient were not related to hypergastrinemia. These lesions could not be grouped as any of the three types of gastric carcinoid tumors in the recent classification. Furthermore, as a simple distal gastrectomy is the standard treatment for multiple carcinoid tumors of the stomach, we recommend that a precise histopathological evaluation should be performed before an appropriate curative surgical treatment is selected.     

End results of simultaneous pancreatectomy, splenectomy and total gastrectomy for patients with gastric carcinoma.

A distal pancreatectomy is often performed simultaneously with splenectomy and total gastrectomy in the treatment of gastric carcinoma to facilitate dissection of the lymph nodes around the splenic artery. However, the morbidity of partial pancreatectomy is high. Patients undergoing pancreaticosplenectomy in conjunction with total gastrectomy are subject to leaks from the pancreatic stump, which may cause further complications. We performed a retrospective analysis to evaluate the end results of simultaneous distal pancreatectomy with total gastrectomy. The effect of distal pancreatectomy on survival was studied by examination of the records of 174 patients who underwent splenectomy and total gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma. Of these, 93 underwent distal pancreatectomy. Prognostic factors were determined and were examined in relation to the post-operative complications. There was no significant difference in the 5-year survival of the patients who did or did not undergo distal pancreatectomy. There was no correlation between any prognostic factor and distal pancreatectomy. In contrast, distal pancreatectomy was independently associated with post-operative complications. In this retrospective study, the addition of distal pancreatectomy to splenectomy at total gastrectomy for patients with gastric cancer did not affect survival but was associated with severe complications.     

Long-term postoperative results in 54 cases of early gastric cancer: the choice of surgical procedure

Surgical experience on the management of early gastric carcinoma (EGC) related to a series of 54 subjects was observed from 1974 to 1984. Thirty-four patients were male, 20 were female; median age was 61.84 (range 22-79) years. Malignancy always occurred in the middle or distal third of the stomach. A partial subtotal gastrectomy (two-thirds of the stomach) with Roux en Y or Billroth II reconstruction was performed. Omentectomy and lymph node dissection of the primary and secondary groups of nodes, according to General Rules, was always performed. Age-corrected 5- and 10-year survival rates were 95.7% and 84.3%, respectively. Based on their experience, the authors discuss the surgical approach to EGC stressing the need for an accurate lymph node dissection and pointing out that results of subtotal gastrectomy are similar to that reported in the literature for total gastrectomy. The only absolute need for a total gastrectomy may be the presence of an EGC in the proximal third of the stomach. To this end the authors compare their results with 5- and 10-year series from Japanese and western countries reported in the literature.     

Surgery in primary gastric lymphoma: impact on clinical staging and long-term survival

This study analyzes the value of surgery in the treatment, staging and long-term survival of 17 patients affected with primary gastric lymphoma. In 7 patients the neoplasm was localized to the lower third of the stomach, in three to the middle third, in two to the upper third, while in 5 patients there was involvement of the entire stomach. Patients were classified according to the Ann-Arbor classification. Nine patients were stage Ie, five stage Ile, and three stage IVe. A partial gastrectomy was carried out in ten patients and total gastrectomy in 7. In all cases surgical excision of the gastric lymphoma was performed together with intraoperative staging including bilateral hepatic biopsies, and exploration of all abdominal lymph nodes. Two postoperative deaths occurred among the 7 patients who underwent total gastrectomy but no major complications were observed in the remaining 5 patients. No deaths occurred among the 10 patients who underwent partial gastrectomy, but in one case an acute complication developed. Staging laparotomy permitted the correction of clinical staging, and showed that three cases were understaged and one overstaged. All patients received adjuvant chemio-radiotherapy. All but one patient are currently alive, well and free of disease. Survival was correlated significantly with the stage of the disease and extent of gastric involvement, but there was no correlation between survival, histological grade, and the type of gastrectomy performed.     

AFP-producing gastric cancer--analyses of 17 cases

Serum AFP levels were increased in 17 of 446 patients with primary gastric cancer, No liver metastasis was detected in 11 of them. In all patients who underwent gastrectomy, the post-operative AFP levels were significantly lowered. In patients with recurrence, the increase of AFP levels was detected before the diagnosis of recurrent tumor could be achieved by US or CT. The tumor invasion in most of these patients was graded as ss. Lymph node metastasis was found in all patients. Most tumors were histologically classified as tub 2. The histochemical demonstration of AFP in carcinoma cells of the stomach and metastatic lesions of the liver suggests tht AFP may be produced within cancer cells. The prognosis was generally poor.     

Relationship of p53 and Helicobacter pylori to clinicopathological features of human remnant stomach cancer after gastric surgery for primary gastric cancer.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the biological features of gastric cancer of the remnant stomach (RSC). Twenty-one patients underwent resection of the remnant stomach for RSC and were divided into two groups: the RSCB group consisted of 11 patients who underwent distal gastrectomy for benign disease and the RSCM group consisted of 10 patients who underwent gastrectomy for primary gastric cancer. The interval between primary surgery and the appearance of gastric cancer in the remnant stomach was significantly shorter in the RSCM group than in the RSCB group. Invasion of adjacent organs was more frequent in the RSCM group than in the RSCB group and the Ki-67 labeling index of the tumors was significantly higher in the former group. Furthermore, p53 overexpression by tumors was almost twice as common in the RSCM group as in the RSCB group. Although there was no significant difference of the H. pylori positivity between the two groups, the rate for both groups was higher than reported in previous studies. Mutation of p53 may play an important role in the high proliferative activity of tumors in the RSCM group and H. pylori infection may be closely related to carcinogenesis in patients with RSC.     

Clinicopathologic study of esophageal cancer associated with simultaneous metastatic lesions in the stomach

Between 1965 and 1985, 89 Japanese patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma underwent esophagectomy. In five of them (5.6%), a simultaneous metastatic lesion from the esophageal cancer was detected within the stomach in the resected specimens. Preoperative diagnosis of the gastric lesions had been made in none of the five patients because of an obstruction that was due to esophageal cancer. All gastric lesions were located at the gastric cardia, close to the esophagocardial junction, with a mean distance of 6.9 +/- 2.0 cm from the primary esophageal lesions. Provision of a gastric tube that contains metastatic lesions, for reconstruction of a new alimentary tract after esophagectomy, must be avoided. In cases of inadequate preoperative gastric examination, gastric lesions should be searched for intraoperatively, not only by serosal inspection and palpation, but also by mucosal inspection and palpation after partial proximal gastrectomy.     

Effective combination chemotherapy for a recurrent case of carcinoma of the remnant stomach

A 69-year-old-man underwent distal gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma in 1988. Another gastric carcinoma was discovered in the remnant stomach in March 1995. Total gastrectomy and lymph node dissection were performed. CEA was up and we detected a big left suprarenal mass by abdominal CT. Suprarenalectomy was performed in June 1997. The swelling of lymph nodes was detected by CT and CEA was up to 1,000. Combination chemotherapy with intermittent 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and low-dose cisplatin (CDDP) was performed. CEA suddenly decreased and lymph node swelling was reduced.