Surgical management of residual gastric cancer

From 1966 to 1985, 2130 patients with gastric cancer were admitted to our surgical department. Among these cancers, gastric cancer following partial gastrectomy for benign gastroduodenal lesion were present in 22 (1%) patients. The original pathology was gastric ulcers in 64% (14 patients), duodenal ulcers in 23% (5 patients), combined gastric and duodenal ulcers in 9% (2 patients), and leiomyoma of the gastric cardia in 4% (1 patient). Fourteen patients were reconstructed by Billroth II, 7 by Billroth I, and one had an esophagogastrostomy after a proximal gastrectomy. The cancer in 19 (86%) patients was resected and 3 (14%) could not be resected. Only 2 (9%) were early cancer, 20 (89%) were advanced cancer including 11 (50%) with Borrmann type 3. A higher proportion of positive lymphnode metastasis was observed for residual gastric cancer (84%) than for primary gastric cancer (49%). The overall 5-year survival rate was 32%, with a 5-year survival rate of 45% for those who underwent curative resection.