[Surgical aspects of early stomach cancer]

The diagnosis of early gastric cancer can be preoperatively suspected, but can be made only by careful histological study of the resection material. In suspicion of early gastric cancer by X-ray or endoscopy the operative procedure cannot be simplified systematically, but the rules of cancer surgery require full observance. The extent of stomach resection will depend on tumor localization, macroscopic tumor appearance and the knowledge of the histological tumor type. Multicentricity and the continuous tumor growth, especially in diffuse type gastric cancer, and possible lymph node metastases must be taken into consideration in the surgical management. Despite differences in survival rates between various histological types of early gastric cancer the prognosis of the patients is highly favourable, given to adequate therapy.