Advanced gastric cancer simulating early cancer in gross morphologic features.

One hundred and sixteen gastric cancers extending to, but not beyond, the proper muscle layer were divided into 2 groups, based on the gross morphologic appearance of the mucosa. Group A (40 cases) resembled early cancer, group B (76 cases) was classifiable by Borrmann's criteria. Intergroup comparison of the therapeutic results and some of the relevant background factors revealed that the 5-year survival rate was 79,5% in group A and 59,5% in group B; this difference was statistically significant. Background factors possibly related to this difference include the degree of penetration, the form of infiltration and the invasion of veins and lymphatics of the stomach wall by malignant cells.