Prognostic Significance of Stromal Reaction in Gastric Carcinoma

Abstract

Postoperative survival of a patient with gastric carcinoma essentially depends on the tumor extension at the time of therapy estimated by a pathological-anatomical staging. Surprisingly variable, however, is the progress of patients with the identical tumor development. Accordingly, attempts were made to refine the pattern of prognostically relevant morphological parameters. In addition to the typing of carcinoma, the histopathological tumor-grading has provided other prognostically useful information. In tumor-grading, no consideration is given to the tumor-stroma. The significance of stromal changes has been a matter of contention since the beginning of histopathological studies on tumor tissues [7]. Whereas one group of workers interpreted inflammatory infiltrates of certain cancers as a defense mechanism against tumor progression, others denied their prognostic importance and regarded them as an unimportant symptom of tumor extension.