[Early gastric carcinoma: short and long term results of surgical treatment]

This paper reports Authors' experience in 58 cases of early gastric cancer observed between 1972 and 1990. The diagnosis of E.G.C. was frequently obtained in patients with recent dyspeptic symptoms. The diagnostic importance of endoscopic procedures, upper gastrointestinal X-rays and endoscopic ultrasonography is underlined. The choice of total gastrectomy with the standardized dissection of regional lymph nodes in order to treat multicentric or upper gastric malignancies v.s. distal gastrectomy for antral lesions is discussed. The cumulative survival rate was 84.4%; local recurrence rate was 4.2%.