The role of surgery in the treatment of recurrent gastric cancer

Background The purpose of the current study was to determine the role of surgery in the treatment of recurrent gastric cancer. Methods Of the 347 patients with recurrent gastric cancer, 61 patients (17.8%) who underwent surgery were evaluated retrospectively. The underlying causes and types of surgery, survival, and postoperative quality of life were analyzed. Results The most common cause of surgery was intestinal obstruction due to carcinomatosis. Complete resection was possible in 15 patients (24.6 %), including 10 gastric remnant recurrences, and 2 hepatic and 3 ovarian metastases. The survival of patients who had complete resection was significantly longer than the other groups (52.2 months for complete resections, 13.1 months for palliative procedures, and 8.7 months for laparotomy alone, respectively) (P < .05). The median hospital-free survival (HFS) durations were 9.4, 2.9, and 2.2 months for incomplete resection, bypass/enterostomy, and laparotomy only, respectively (P < .05). Conclusion Surgical treatment in recurrent gastric cancer is rarely indicated; however, if complete resection could be accomplished, long-term survival can be expected. Bypass surgery for symptom palliation did not increase the HFS.