[Characteristics and development of stump cancers of the stomach]

To clarify characteristics and development of stump cancers of the stomach, we studied 10 cases (12 lesions) of them with mucin-histochemical and immunohistochemical techniques and gene analysis using polymerase chain reaction. Sixty-seven % of the cancers were mostly composed of gastric-type cells and 67% also showed abnormal accumulation of p53 protein in their nuclei. There were scattered cells with abnormal accumulation of p53 protein in cystically dilated glands that were often found to be surrounding cancers. Immunohistochemistry of proliferating cell nuclear antigen also demonstrated proliferating activity of these cystic glands. It is suggested that the cystically dilatated gland is precancerous lesion of stump cancers of the stomach. The gene analysis showed less occurrence of K-ras abnormality, and the mutation of APC gene is suggested to be infrequent.