[Treatment of recurrent cancer]

Our studies on pathophysiological and immunological parameters show that general condition and immune status in patients with recurrent cancer is intermediate between resectable and unresectable cases, that is, general condition and immune status in patients with recurrent cancer is better than that in patients with unresectable primary lesion. Our studies also reveal that survival of gastric cancer cases correlates with immunological parameters, which correlates, in their turn, highly with the extent of tumor. And both survival time and response rate to chemotherapy is compatible whether their disease is primary or recurrent. Therefore, recurrent cancer should also be an object of vigorous treatment. The problem of recurrent cancer is that in most instances there are two or more lesions and that their invasion is deeper. The treatment of recurrent cancer should be done with due consideration of sites of primary lesion and metastasis, and appropriate regimen should be chosen for individual cases. However, what is important in treating recurrent cancer is its early detection and active treatment which sould be multidisciplinary and systematic. I sincerely hope that this symposium will be the beginning of systematization of recurrent cancer treatment.