Liver metastasis is the only independent prognostic factor in AFP-producing gastric cancer

Table 3 Comparison of recurrence patterns between patients with and without α-fetoprotein -producing gastric cancer n (%)

Site	GC patients with recurrence
	AFP-producing GC (n = 11)	AFP-non producing GC (n = 256)
Peritoneum	1 (9.1)	113 (44.1)
Liver	10 (90.9)	44 (17.2)
Lung	1 (9.1)	3 (1.2)
Bone	0 (0.0)	13 (5.1)
Lymph nodes	0 (0.0)	48 (18.8)
Others	0 (0.0)	46 (18.0)

The incidence of recurrence was 47.8% in the α-fetoprotein (AFP)-producing group and 20.0% in the AFP-non producing group. The most likely recurrence pattern was liver metastasis and peritoneal metastasis in the AFP-producing group and AFP-non producing group, respectively. GC: Gastric cancer.