Mucin-producing gastric cancer: clinicopathological difference between signet ring cell carcinoma and mucinous carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Signet ring cell carcinoma and mucinous carcinoma are mucin-producing gastric cancers. Their clinicopathological difference was obscure. METHODOLOGY: From December 1987 to July 2005, a total of 1612 gastric cancer patients received curative surgery, 128 patients with signet ring cell carcinoma and 48 with mucinous carcinoma were enrolled in this study. Clinicopathological data were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Early stage (stage I and II) patients with mucinous carcinoma were associated with more male predominant (p = 0.002), larger tumor size (p = 0.020), deeper cancer invasion (p < 0.001), and a worse 5-year overall survival (63.6% vs 88.2%, p = 0.012) than those with signet ring cell carcinoma. There was no significant difference between the two groups with advanced stage in 5-year overall survival. There is no significant difference in the initial recurrence pattern between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with mucinous carcinoma had different biological behaviors with those with signet ring cell carcinoma, in particular early stage, hence had a worse survival.