Retrospective analysis of prognosis for scirrhous-type gastric cancer: One institution's experience

Background. Scirrhous gastric cancer is biologically aggressive, and the prognosis is poor even with curative surgery. We compared outcomes with different therapies in order to identify prognostic factors. Methods. Records for 83 patients, who were treated between 1991 and 2004, were evaluated for survival and stage, treatment, and clinicopathological factors. Results. Cumulative 5-year overall survival was 10.2% for all 83 patients, including 27 (32.5%) patients with stage II/III disease and 56 (67.4%) with stage IV disease. The 5-year overall survival rate and median survival time for patients with stage II/III disease after curative surgery were 24.3% and 1150 days. For patients with stage IV disease, 2-year and 5-year survival rates after initial surgery were 13.7% and 0% and median survival was 250 days. In contrast, preoperative chemotherapy for advanced, unresectable disease produced 2-year and 3-year overall survival rates of 53.6% and 26.8% and medican survival was 910 days. Conclusion. Aggressive surgery alone does not seem to improve outcome, but preoperative chemotherapy might be beneficial and should be investigated further.