We evaluated the results of surgical treatment obtained from 173 patients with gastric cancer with peritoneal dissemination over a 16-year period and studied applications for surgery and the significance of palliative resection.
1) In all groups of P1, P2 and P3 patients, results for resected cases were more favorable than those for non-resected cases, and some, although not many, of the resected P1 and P2 patients survived for three years.
2) Depending on surgical procedure and dissection, the results for cases with subtotal resectin were more favorable than those for cases with total resection, and the results for cases with R2 dissection were more favorable than those for cases with R0-1, dissection.
3) It was highly possible for the lives of P1 and P2 patients to be prolonged by resection, indicating that R2 dissection is favorable. However, the direct mortality for P3 patients was high, and it was impossible to expect prolongation of patients' lives by resection. P3 patients were therefore not considered to be candidates for surgery.