Liver metastasis in cancer of the stomach and its dependence on the histology of the primary tumor: an autopsy study on 102 cases.

The case records of 102 patients who had died of gastric cancer between 1975 and 1983 were evaluated. Special emphasis was given to an analysis of the metastatic liver involvement in relation to various histological classifications. The results show a strong preponderance of liver involvement by differentiated adenocarcinomas without intra- or extracellular mucin production, whereas signet ring cell carcinomas or adenocarcinomas with a major extracellular mucin production seem to avoid the liver. If the liver is being involved by the latter tumors, the degree of involvement remains low. Other relationships between certain histologies and the subsequent spread are briefly reported and compared with available data from the literature. The impact on adjuvant therapeutic strategies is discussed.