mgb and cancer scare

[Guest guest]

I pulled this off Medline. I especially liked the last sentence of

the paper.

Suzanne in NC

mgb 7/17/00

254/211

Risk of gastric cancer is not increased after partial gastrectomy.

Bassily R, Smallwood RA, Crotty B

Department of Gastroenterology, Austin & Repatriation Medical Centre,

West Heidelberg, , Australia.

[Medline record in process]

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that there is an increased risk of

gastric cancer following partial gastrectomy. This question has not

been studied in an Australian population. METHODS: The records of a

total of 569 patients who had a partial gastrectomy for peptic ulcer

disease at Repatriation General Hospital, Heidelberg, between 1957

and 1976 were reviewed. All were followed to date of death or 31

December 1996. The expected rate of gastric cancer for this

population was estimated from published Australian age-and sex-

specific gastric cancer mortality rates over this period, and a

standardized incidence ratio was calculated. RESULTS: The mean age at

surgery was 53.5 years (range 27-83 years). There were 547 male

(96.4%) and 22 female (3.6%) patients. Five hundred and seven (83.5%)

had a Billroth II procedure. Thirty-eight patients (6.3%) were lost

to follow up and were not included in the analysis. From the records

of the Department of Veterans' Affairs, it was established that 125

(20.6%) were alive in December 1996, a mean survival after surgery of

18.8 years. The mean documented duration of follow up was 17.3 years

(range 1-41 years). Nine patients developed cancer in the gastric

remnant. The expected number of cancers in this population was 6.5.

Assuming all survivors were free of gastric cancer, the standardized

incidence ratio was 1.39 (95% confidence intervals 0.64-2.65,

P=0.313). CONCLUSION: The risk of gastric cancer was not increased

after partial gastrectomy in this Australian population.

PMID: 10937681, UI: 20391460