Risk of osteoporosis after gastrectomy in long-term gastric cancer survivors.

Abstract

Although early detection and successful gastrectomy have improved the survival of patients with gastric cancer, long-term health problems remain troubling. We evaluated the prevalence of osteoporosis and its risk factors in long-term survivors of gastric cancer after gastrectomy. We reviewed the medical records of a tertiary hospital between 2007 and 2014 to identify survivors of gastric cancer who had visited our center at around 5years after gastrectomy. We evaluated their health status, including bone mineral density (BMD). Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to measure the BMD of the lumbar spine and femur (total and neck area). The prevalence of osteoporosis, defined by a BMD T score <-2.5, was investigated, and clinical variables associated with the presence of osteoporosis were identified. A total of 250 survivors were included. The mean age was 54.6years old, and the median follow-up was 6.0years. The prevalence of osteoporosis was 34.0% (27.4% for men and 43.6% for women). Older age [odds ratio (OR) 5.50, 95% CI 2.33-13.00], higher alkaline phosphatase levels before gastrectomy (OR 5.67, 95% CI 1.36-23.64), and marked weight loss (≥20%) after gastrectomy (OR 3.59, 95% CI 1.32-9.77) were independently associated with the presence of osteoporosis. In our cohort, osteoporosis was commonly observed in long-term survivors of gastric cancer, and several risk factors for it were identified. To reduce the risk of osteoporosis after gastrectomy, maintaining adequate body weight may be necessary.