Treatments for second malignancies after gastrectomy for stomach cancer

Abstract

Background/aims: Metachronous primary cancers after stomach cancer were reported as a cause of late death. It is necessary to treat these second malignancies to improve the result of surgical treatment for gastric cancer.

Material and methods: Among 3,570 patients who underwent gastrectomy during 1961-1986, 160 second primary malignancies were observed as of December of 1991. Liver (27 patients) and colorectal (18 patients) cancers were the largest in number.

Results: By the end of 1992, for 32 liver tumors small resection, transcatheter arterial embolization and percutaneous ethanol injection were carried out and 3-year survival of resected cases (6 patients; 80.0%) was better than that of nonresected cases (26; 3.8%) (p < 0.05). In 19 colorectal cancers, surgical resection (13/19) and combined locoregional chemotherapy (2/19) were actively performed, and 5-year survival of resected cases (13; 55.4%) was better than that of nonresected cases (6; 0%) (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: With an intensive long-term follow-up after gastrectomy for cancer, early diagnosis and effective therapy for second primary malignancies is improved.