[Significance of AFP in gastric cancer]

Serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) was positive in as few as 5.7-13.5% of gastric cancer patients prior to surgery, and most of the positive cases had cancer of stage IV or higher. Thus, the parameter did not seem to be very useful in diagnosis. It was positive in as many as 45% of terminal cancer patients, while many cases with AFP of more than 1000 ng/ml had metastases to the liver. Thus, AFP was proved to be useful for follow-up of the postoperative course. AFP staining was conducted in 29 dissected stomachs and five of them were positive for AFP staining.