Incidence and factors associated with recurrence patterns after intended curative surgery for gastric cancer

Recurrence after curative resection for gastric cancer remains high. We examined its incidence and factors related to recurrence pattern, while trying to avoid the interaction of various factors. A total of 611 gastric cancer patients after resection for curative intent (1988-1995) were analyzed. The result showed that 245 patients had recurrence (40.1%). Cumulative recurrence rates were 53.5%, 80%, 89.0%, 94.7%, 96.3%, 98%, and 99.5% at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 years, respectively. Over half of patients with recurrence (123; 50.2%) had an initial single recurrence. Taking single and multiple recurrence together, most recurrences (213; 86.9%) were distant metastases, 110 recurrences (44.9%) were local relapses, and 78 recurrences (49.8%) were both local and distant. Among the distant metastases, 131 patients (53.5%) had peritoneal dissemination, 106 patients (43.3%) had hematogenous metastases, and 70 patients (28.6%) had distant lymphatic spread. Scirrhous-type stromal reaction, serosa invasion, and female gender were factors negatively related to peritoneal recurrence. Medullary-type stromal reaction and male gender showed a preference for locoregional recurrence, and expanding growth tumor commonly led to hematogenous metastasis. Patients who had paraaortic lymph node metastasis were at high risk of developing distant lymphatic recurrence. It is conceivable that the patterns of recurrence and the times to recurrence provide a biological basis for clinical monitoring of patients with the aim of modifying therapeutic modalities.