Abstract
The aim of this study is to compare the significance of risk factors for recurrence between of all cases just after the primary operation and disease free cases several years after the primary operation. We examined our gastric cancer patients who were disease free for 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years after the primary operation in regard to the relationship between the risk factor for recurrence and the disease-free interval. Serosal invasion (positive and negative) and infiltration pattern (α, β and γ) were significant as risk factors for recurrence after 5 postoperative years (p<0.01). Lymphatic metastasis (between n1 and n2), lymphatic permeation (between ly0+1 and ly2+3) and histological pattern (between differentiated and undifferentiated) were not significant as risk factors for recurrence after 4, 3 and 2 years, respectively. Concerning the pattern of recurrence after a long interval after the operation, local recurrence and dissemination was the dominant pattern in positive serosal invasion and inf γ cases and this pattern was similar to that in a short interval after the operatin. However, dissemination and lymphatic metastasis were the dominant pattern in recurrence after a long interval after the operation in n0, local recurrence and dissemination was dominant in n1 and local recurrence and dissemination was dominant in n2, unlike the pattern of recurrence in a short interval after the operation. Follow-up is necessary considering the fact that the significance of the risk factor for recurrence and the suspected pattern of recurrence after a long disease free interval from operation are different from those after a short interval from operation.
