Abstract
In a recent 12-year period from 1976 to 1987, 1059 patients with gastric cancer were experienced at the department and 78 (7.3%) of them had unresectable gastric cancer. Their average survival period was 5.6 months. These 78 patients were divided into early death (65 patients) and long survived (13) groups, bordering at the survival period of 8 months which was a turning point in the cumulating survival curve. Background factors were compared between both groups. There were significant differences between them in factors making the case unresectable and histologic type. In the early death group more than two unresectable factors, especially factors S, P, and N in a complex manner, were responsible for, while two or less factors in the long survived groups. Well differentiated adenocarcinoma was predominant in long survived group, but poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, in the other. On the other hand, palliative surgery such as gastrojejunostomy or jejunostomy and adjuvant chemotherapy with MMC and 5-FU did not contribute to better prognosis. To improve the prognosis of unresectable gastric cancer, some new chemotherapy which can efficiently affect prognostic factors is expected.
