OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC).

METHODSClinical data of 42 patients with gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma admitted in the Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University between May 2006 and July 2011 were analyzed retrospectively. The prognostic factors were determined by Log-rank test.

RESULTSGastric NEC was found in 42 (0.83%) of 5046 patients with gastric cancer during the same period, including 37 males and 5 females. The average age of the patients was 63 years old at the diagnosis. Forty patients underwent R0 resection and 2 patients R1 resection. Forty patients received routine adjuvant chemotherapy with fluorouracil plus oxaliplatin. The median follow-up duration was 26.0 months (range 4-70 months). The median survival was 25.0 months, and the overall 1-, 3-, 5-year survival rates were 71.4%, 26.2% and 11.9%, respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that maximum tumor diameter, tumor invasion depth, lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion, stage, and curability were associated with survival (all P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSGastric NEC is rare. Curative operation is essential for improving the prognosis, while the choice of comprehensive treatment after surgery should be optimized.