[Neuroendocrine tumors of the stomach. Surgery therapy and prognosis]

Abstract

Gastric carcinoid tumors are rare lesions characterized by hypergastrinemia that arise from enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells of the stomach. A classification system distinguishing three types of gastric carcinoid tumors has been proposed: 1) tumors related to chronic atrophic gastritis, 2) tumors associated with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, and 3) sporadic lesions. It is apparent that hypergastrinemia-associated gastric carcinoids show a rather benign biological behavior. Normo-gastrinemic sporadic lesions, on the other hand, require an aggressive surgical management. We report seven patients with gastric neuroendocrine tumors ("carcinoids"), who underwent surgical treatment in our department between 1988 and 2000. Surgical therapy included total gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy in two cases with type I tumors and for one patient with type III tumor. One patient with a type II tumor was treated by distal subtotal gastrectomy and another by antrectomy. A local excision was performed on one patient with type I tumor. After a mean follow-up of 8 years, 5 of 7 patients are alive without recurrence.