[Stomach cancer--the current situation from the surgical viewpoint]

From July 1st 1982 to December 31st 1986, 359 patients with a histologically confirmed gastric carcinoma were operated on. At the beginning of therapy, 44.3% were in the pathological anatomical stages I and II, 55.7% in stages III and IV (UICC 1987). 307 patients could be resected (resection rate 85.5%). The proportion of R0 resections (no residual tumor) was 61.9%, R1 resections (microscopically demonstrable tumor residues) 23.1% and R2 resections (macroscopical tumor residues) 15%. Overall, a curative resection could be carried out in 61.9% of the cases and a palliative resection in 38.1% of the cases. In 21.5%, a subtotal gastric resection, in 48.2% a total gastrectomy and in 30.3% an extended total gastrectomy was necessary in addition. The lethality was 3.0% for subtotal resection, 5.4% for the simple total gastrectomy and 9.6% for the extended total gastrectomy. The prognosis corresponds to the tumor stage at the beginning of therapy (three year actuarial survival: stage I 76%, stage II and III 26%, stage IV 7%).