The mortality from cancer, excluding gastric stump cancer, was examined in 3,827 Japanese patients who had undergone partial gastrectomy for benign gastroduodenal diseases. Although no increase in gastric stump cancer had been found in a previous analysis, the number of deaths from liver, lung and colorectal cancer was significantly greater than expected. The mortality rate was also significantly increased in patients with cirrhosis of the liver. Postoperative hepatitis, intestinal stasis and/or increased bacterial growth after Billroth II gastrectomy were considered as possible causes of the high mortality.