BACKGROUND: Gastric neoplasia is a heterogeneous and multifactorial disease and its incidence and mortality vary widely based on geographic location. Approximately 60% of the diagnoses of patients from occidental countries were made on the stages III and IV. The best treatment still is to realize a surgical procedure. AIM: Identify the epidemiological aspects of the patients diagnosed with T4b gastric adenocarcinoma. METHODS: The study was observational, transversal and retrospective; it was also based on secondary sources from patients diagnosed with T4b gastric adenocarcinoma, through pathologic stages. A total of 815 charts were analyzed and 27 patients studied. The variables were: demographic aspects, main symptoms, risk factors, access to health system, surgical aspects, morbidity, mortality and survival. RESULTS: Were included 22 men (81,5%) and five woman (18,5%), in the age group between 38 and 87 years old - median age of 58. The time, in months, to access the health system varied from one to 120, average of 12,5 months. The most prevalent signs and symptoms were: weight loss 23 (85,2%), epigastric pain 22 (81,5%), vomit 16 (59,3%) and gastric fullness 12 (44,4%). The frequency of the affected adjacent body structures was: pancreas 8 (29,6%), liver 7 (25,9%), transverse colon 6 (22,2%), small intestine 6 (22,2%), mesocolon 3 (11,1%), spleen 1 (3,7%) and gallbladder 1 (3,7%). Postoperative morbidity occurred in 51, 85% of the patients. There were a significative association between surgical mortality and the occurrence of fistula/ dehiscence, septic shock and bleeding. The survival rate after six months was 63,27%. CONCLUSION: The mean time between onset of symptoms and access to specialized health services was high. More than half of the patients had postoperative morbidities. Patients who had fistula / dehiscence, bleeding and septic shock were significantly associated with surgical mortality. The survival rate after six months was 63.27%.
Gastric cancer; Surgery, survival
