Long‐term outcomes after laparoscopy‐assisted gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer: Analysis of consecutive 106 experiences

Abstract

The purpose of this retrospective study is to suggest the possibility of laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy (LAG) for advanced gastric cancer (AGC) through long-term outcomes. Of 283 patients with gastric cancer who underwent LAG with extraperigastric (D2) lymphadenectomy between January 2004 and February 2009, 106 were pathologically confirmed with AGC and analyzed. There were 75 men and 31 women, with a mean age of 61.4 +/- 11.7 years. There were 32 total gastrectomies and 74 distal gastrectomies with D2 lymphadenectomy. The mean tumor size was 4.8 +/- 2.6 cm. The mean numbers of retrieved and metastatic lymph nodes were 34.3 +/- 15.3 and 5.4 +/- 8.7, respectively. There was no lymph node metastasis in 44 patients (41.5%), and there were 35 grade T2a, 51 T2b, and 20 T3 lesions. There were 10 operation-related morbidities (9.4%) and one postoperative death (0.9%) from hepatic failure. The overall and disease-free survival rates were 81.4% and 72.4%, respectively. Tumors recurred in 17 patients (16.0%) during the follow-up periods (median 21.5 months; range 2-60). LAG for AGC might be considered as a minimally invasive treatment in selected cases, but further study comparing it with open gastrectomy will be needed.