EFFECTIVENESS AND RELEVANCE OF EXAMINATIONS IN THE FOLLOW-UP OF GASTRIC-CANCER PATIENTS

About 10% of 405 potentially curatively operated gastric cancer patients showed signs of recurrence during their stay in our clinic for tumor after-care. 26.8% of the patients with a relapse suffered from cancer related complaints or showed cancer related symptoms. The routine sonography (68.3%) and the routinewise tested tumor markers CEA, CA 19-9, and AP (65.9%) led most frequently to the detection of the recurrence. In 46.3%, the early detection of the recurrences led to tumor therapeutic consequences like surgical treatment, chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy. The survival time of the - mostly palliatively - treated patients was 13.9 +/- 9.5 months compared to the untreated patients who had a survival time of 6.8 +/- 5.5 months. Based on their examination results, the authors suggest a more rehabilitation-oriented instead of tumor-oriented aftercare of gastric cancer patients.