A Phase II study of Left Upper Abdominal Exenteration Plus Appleby's Method for Scirrhous Gastric Cancer

Hiroshi Furukawa, Masahiro Hiratsuka

Department of Surgery, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

Background: The prognosis after surgery for scirrhous gastric cancer is quite poor. An extended operation, left upper abdominal exenteration plus Appleby's operation (LUAE), has been performed for scirrhous gastric cancer to improve their survival. Patients and Methods: Since 1983, LUAE has been performed in 54 patients with scirrhous gastric cancer (Group A). The results of LUAE were evaluated and compared with findings in patients with scirrhous cancer who underwent total gastrectomy with pancreatosplenectomy between 1973 and 1983 (Group B). Results: There was no difference in the incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups. In stage III, the 5-year survival rate in Group A was 40%, and better than in Group B (20%: p<0.05) In stage IV, there was no difference in the survival rate between the two groups. Conclusion: LUAE improved the survival of patients with scirrhous gastric cancer in stage III, but failed to improve the survival of patients with stage IV disease.

Key words
scirrhous gastric cancer, left upper abdominal exenteration, Appleby's operation

Reprint requests
Hiroshi Furukawa Department of Surgery, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases
1-2-2 Nakamichi, Higashinari-ku, Osaka, 537-0025 JAPAN

Accepted
July 22, 1998

To read the PDF file you will need Abobe Reader installed on your computer.