[Differential metastatic mode of gastric cancer by age and histological type]

Metastatic mode of gastric cancer was examined in 173 autopsy cases, in which the primary tumor had not been resected, and was compared between different histological types as well as different age groups. From the histological view point, the differentiated gastric cancer showed preferential metastasis to the liver, while the undifferentiated type showed a prevalence in peritoneal dissemination as well lymph node metastasis. From the view point of aging, the peritoneal dissemination was more frequently observed in the younger patients than in the older patients in both differentiated and undifferentiated types. The similar prevalence in the younger patients was also observed in lymph node metastasis of gastric cancer of undifferentiated type, but not in that of differentiated type. Regarding the liver metastasis, there was no difference between different age groups in both differentiated and undifferentiated types.