[Benefit of screening for gastric cancer--a comparison of symptomatic and screened patients who underwent gastrectomy]

Abstract

We compared the clinicopathological factors and treatment results with regard to symptoms and screening in patients who underwent gastrectomy for primary gastric cancer.

Patients: The subjects included 797 patients with asymptomatic gastric cancer (SCG) and 1090 patients with symptomatic cancer (SYG) who had undergone gastrectomy for gastric cancer from 1989 to 2000.

Results: The proportion of early gastric cancer, N0 cases, and curative cases in the SCG and SYG patients were 70% & 33%, 77% & 44%, and 98% & 80%, respectively (p = 0.000, for each). Five-year survival rates of the SCG and SYG patients were 87% and 63% (p = 0.000).

Conclusion: Screening for gastric cancer in order to detect asymptomatic disease may contribute to patient survival.