[Superficial gastric cancer. A review of 30 cases]

Thirty cases of superficial cancer of the stomach were treated over a ten-year period from 1984 to 1993. Actuarial survival rate at 5 years was 73%. The depth of cancer invasion has a predominant effect on two prognosis factors: mucosal and submucosal involvement. Invasion of the lymph nodes is more frequent in cases with submucosal invasion. Treatment is based on gastric surgery. Nevertheless, if the diagnosis of superficial cancer is certain before operation and deep extension is clearly identified by histology and especially by echoendoscopy, more selective surgery could be justified: R1 type exeresis for cancers involving the mucosa only and R2 type exeresis for submucosal involvement.