Background/aims: The prognosis after curative resection for Borrmann type IV carcinoma, according to the extent of lymph node metastasis, is poorly understood.
Methodology: The surgical outcome of curative resection was examined in 78 patients with T2-T3 Borrmann type IV gastric carcinomas, with particular reference to the extent of lymph node metastasis.
Results: The 5-year survival rate was 35.7% for the n0 patients, 27.8% for the n1 patients, 18.2% for the n2 patients and 0% for the n3 or n4 patients. The survival curve for the n3 or n4 patients differed significantly from those of the n0 (P < 0.0001), n1 (P = 0.0009) and n2 (P = 0.0203) patients. However, no other statistically significant differences between the curves were found.
Conclusions: The results of the present study indicate that patients with Borrmann type IV carcinoma of the stomach may indeed be cured by curative surgery, and that the surgical outcome of this disease does not depend on the extent of lymph node metastasis under curative resection if lymph node metastasis is restricted to the n2 lymph nodes.