Clinical Features of Gastric Cancer Patients with a Second Primary Cancer

Lim, Jin Ho; Sung, Kwan Su; Kim, Taeg Hyun; Song, Kyo Young; Kang, Han Chol; Kim, Seung Nam; Park, Cho Hyun

Abstract

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to clarify the risk factors and clinicopathologic features of gastric cancer patients with a second primary cancer (SPC).
METHODS
The data on 2455 patients with gastric cancer was analyzed retrospectively with respect to the clinicopathologic features of the pathologically proven SPC.
RESULTS
Of the 2,455 patients, there were 90 (3.7%) gastric cancer patients with SPC. Among them, 31 patients had synchronous cancers and 59 had metachronous cancers. Of the 59 metachronous cancers, 21 were found before the gastric surgery and 38 were found after the gastric surgery. The most prevalent SPC was colorectal cancer (28 cases) and followed by cancer in the liver (13 cases) kidney and pancreas (6 cases each, respectively). Among the 61 patients with SPC found after gastric cancer surgery, 31 cases (50%) were diagnosed within 2 years. On comparison of the clinicopathologic features, the patients with SPC tended to be older, more prone to have early gastric carcinoma and to have multiple gastric lesions. The survival rate of the patients with SPC and gastric cancer alone was not different; however, there was a significantly difference for the patients with early gastric cancer (61.7% vs. 91.3%, respectively, P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION
For the patients who were older, had multiple primary lesions or they had early gastric cancer, evaluation for SPC, and especially in the colon and liver, should be considered during routine follow up.