[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.