The effect of tamoxifen and estrogen receptor status on survival in gastric carcinoma.

One hundred patients were entered in a randomized, controlled study of adjuvant tamoxifen therapy in gastric carcinoma. Estrogen receptor status was established by an immunohistologic method (ERD5) and 55.8% of the tumors were positive. Tamoxifen had no overall effect on survival, but there was a significant decrease in the survival time of the patients with ERD5-positive tumors. Estrogen receptor status (by the ERD5 method) is an independent prognostic factor in gastric cancer. Tamoxifen therapy does not prolong survival, and new therapeutic strategies require investigation.