This is a retrospective study of 103 cases of early gastric cancer undergoing surgery during the years of 1974-1988 with a special discussion on surgical treatment.The lesions were localized to the mu-cosal layer in 54.3%,to submucosal layer in 45.7%,In 10% of patients there was lymphnode metastasis,all of them were in the first station.Operation consisted of radical subtotal gastrectomy in 94.2%.and total gastrectomy in 5.8%.The extent of lymphatic excision was:Ro in 12.6%,R1 in 61.2% and R2 in 26.2% Postoperative chemotherapy was given in 61.2%.However no statistical difference of 5 years survival rate was found in respect to the extent of lymphatic excision as well as postoperative chemotherapy.Since 60.2% of EGC lesions were of minute,multiple and plane type,preoperattve en-doscopy and intraoperative biopsy of gastric mucosa,if necessary,should be carefully done to ascertain that no lesion was overlooked in the remnant of the stomach.Follow-up rate was 96%,and the survival rates of 3 and 5 years were 97% and 93.7%.This makes the authors believe that a radical operation of R1 is justified and routine postoperative chemotherapy is unnecessary.