The cancer risk in the stomach subjected to nonresecting procedures. An experimental long-term study.

Whereas there is no longer any significant controversy regarding whether the resected stomach is subject to an increased risk of cancer, this question remains of great importance in terms of the cancer risk of nonresecting procedures performed on the stomach. Attention was given in particular to investigating with respect to carcinogenic potential the influence of gastrotomy. Heineke-Mikulicz pyloroplasty, gastrotomy plus pyloroplasty, vagotomy plus pyloroplasty, and gastroenterostomy without resection. As with resecting procedures, the carcinomas were also first observed in larger numbers following the nonresecting procedures without application of carcinogen. Of the 227 animals surviving the prescribed period 16 developed carcinomas of the stomach following application of carcinogen. 20 developed gastric carcinomas without carcinogen. Which individual factors in this multifactorial process might be the main contributors to carcinogenesis cannot be ascertained from our study.