Gastrectomy For Primary Gastric Cancer Research Articles

Lymph node metastasis prediction model for each lymph node station in gastric cancer patients.

Lymph node metastasis (LNM) prediction for each LN station is required for tailored surgery for patient safety or improving quality of life in gastric cancer. This retrospective review was performed to develop a prediction program for calculating the probability of LNM according to LN stations in patients with gastric cancer. Among patients who underwent gastrectomy for primary gastric cancer between 2003 and 2017at Seoul National University Hospital, 4660 patients up to 2013 were used as the development set, and 2564 patients after 2013 were used as the validation set. Not only the center of tumor but also all locations of stomach by tumor were included in the analysis. A multiple logistic regression analysis was used to develop an LNM prediction program for each LN station in development set. The program was validated using C-statistics and a calibration plot of the validation set. Multivariate analysis identified tumor depth, gross type, and involved locations as covariates associated with LNM. However, the significant factors differed slightly according to the LN station. The prediction equations were developed for each LN station. In the validation set, the prediction equation exhibited good discriminant C-statistics of over 0.8 for all stations. The calibration plot of the prediction equation predicted the LNM rate, which corresponded closely to the actual rate. A program was developed to predict LNM at LN stations. Predictive power was confirmed via internal validation. Predicting the LN metastatic rate for each LN station could help in planning more customized surgery.

Study of the therapeutic strategy to improve survival outcomes from the perspective of perioperative conditions in elderly gastric cancer patients: a propensity score-matched analysis

BackgroundElderly gastric cancer patients (EGCPs) require treatment according to not just the stage of their cancer, but also to their general condition and organ function, and rather than full treatment, the appropriate amount of treatment is necessary.MethodsA total of 425 patients who underwent gastrectomy for primary gastric cancer in our institution between April 2013 and March 2020 were classified by age into two groups: elderly patients (EP, age ≥ 80 years, n = 89); and younger patients (YP, age < 80 years, n = 336). The preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative conditions of the two groups were then compared. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed, and factors affecting complications and survival outcomes were examined in detail. In addition, the necessary treatment strategy for EGCPs in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative periods was investigated.ResultsOf the preoperative factors, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status (ASA-PS) was significantly higher, and respiratory function was significantly lower in the EP group than in the YP group, and the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) also tended to be lower. Of the intraoperative factors, there was no difference in the level of lymph node dissection. However, the EP group had significantly higher rates of postoperative pneumonia and anastomotic leakage. Of the postoperative factors, on simple comparison, postoperative long-term outcomes of the EP group were significantly worse (63.8% vs. 85.4%, p < 0.001), but there was no significant difference in disease-specific survival (DSS), and the DSS survival curves after PSM were almost identical, indicating that the survival rate in the EP group was decreased by death from other disease. Though the survival rate of laparoscopic surgery was significantly better than that of open surgery in the YP group, there was a significantly lower rate of postoperative complications in the EP group after PSM.ConclusionsIn EGCPs, one needs to be aware of short-term complications such as pneumonia and anastomotic leakage due to respiratory dysfunction and malnutrition that are present before surgery. Furthermore, to suppress deaths from other diseases that reduce postoperative survival rates, prevention of postoperative complications (particularly pneumonia) through minimally invasive surgery can be effective.

Prognostic Significance of Preoperative Nutritional Assessment in Elderly Patients who Underwent Laparoscopic Gastrectomy for Stage I-III Gastric Cancer.

Surgery for elderly patients with gastric cancer is becoming more common. However, the risk factors of the laparoscopic surgery for these patients are unknown, and thus it is difficult to determine appropriate treatments for such patients. The aim of this retrospective study was to clarify the risk factors for the treatment outcomes after laparoscopic gastrectomy in elderly patients. Two hundred twenty-two patients who underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy for primary gastric cancer between January 2014 and December 2017 were enrolled. Clinical characteristics and short- and long-term prognoses were analyzed in 47 patients aged 75 years or older (elderly group) and in 175 patients who were under 75 years old (non-elderly group). The presence of comorbidities was more common in the elderly group than in the non-elderly group (91.5% vs. 61.7%, p<0.0001). The rate of postoperative complications in the elderly group was significantly higher than that in the non-elderly group (42.6% vs. 22.9%, p=0.01). The 5-year overall survival rate was significantly lower in the elderly group than in the non-elderly group (66.9% vs. 92.2%; p<0.0001). In the elderly group, 5-year overall survival in patients with a low preoperative prognostic nutritional index (PNI) was significantly worse than that in patients with a high preoperative PNI (25.0% vs. 80.9%; p<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that the PNI value was independently associated with overall survival in elderly patients who underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy (p<0.05). In particular, the rate of non-cancer deaths after surgery in elderly patients was significantly higher than that in non-elderly patients (p<0.05). PNI value is an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in elderly patients who have undergone laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer; therefore, in elderly patients with low preoperative PNI, attention should be paid not only to recurrence of cancer, but also to the deterioration of general condition caused by malnutrition.

Proposal of modified textbook outcome for improving the quality of gastric cancer surgery: A single-center study.

270 Background: Gastric cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Since 2014, the national healthcare quality assessment has been implemented for gastric cancer in Korea, which has the highest incidence. The proportion of early gastric cancer through early detection is high in Korea, and gastric cancer surgery has a great influence on outcome index. The aim of this study is to find indicators that can improve Textbook outcome (TO) in patients undergoing gastric cancer surgery. Comparing with Western data, we intended to propose a modified TO (mTO). Methods: Using a prospective clinical database, we included consecutive cases of gastrectomy for primary gastric cancer between 2014 and 2016. TO was achieved when 10 original indicators proposed by the DUCA group were satisfied. We propose to adjust the index of the number of retrieved lymph nodes from 15 to 30 as the modified TO(mTO) indicator for improving the quality of gastrectomy. For comparison with Western data, we calculated TO, mTO and survival in stage I versus Stage II and III. Results: A total of 2,153 patients were included. TO was achieved in 80.1 percents by 10 original indicators. Most of the indicators showed more than 90 percents of TO satisfaction. Five-year survival was significantly different between the TO (90.0%) and non-TO (76.1%) groups ( P &lt; 0.001). For 608 patients in stage II and III, TO was 72.9 percents, which was much higher than the Western publications. Five-year survival were 74.8 percents for the TO group and 56.8 percents for the non-TO group in stage II and III patients. We found that the number of metastatic lymph nodes increases as the stage increases and even the number of metastatic lymph nodes in stage IIIC exceeded 19. The modified textbook outcome (mTO) for stage II and III was 65.3 percents, and five–year survival was significantly different between mTO (74.0%) and mnon-TO (62.1%) groups ( P &lt; 0.001). To prevent R1 resection and minimize the proportion of remnant total gastrectomy, we performed frozen study examinations of the proximal and distal margins as to ensure high oncological safety. Conclusions: Data from a high volume gastric cancer center showed the high textbook outcome rates. It suggests that the minimum number of lymph node retrievals should be at least 30, even in advanced gastric cancer, and routine intraoperative frozen study examination are necessary to increase R0 resection.

Detection of secondary upper gastrointestinal tract cancer during follow-up esophagogastroduodenoscopy after gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

AimEsophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) may contribute to early detection of secondary cancer in the upper gastrointestinal tract although the clinical relevance of follow‐up after gastrectomy remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the effectiveness of follow‐up EGD by investigating the incidence of secondary cancer in any part of the upper gastrointestinal tract.MethodsData from 1438 patients who underwent curative partial gastrectomy for primary gastric cancer between 2008 and 2014 and follow‐up EGD at least once during a 5‐year follow‐up period were retrospectively reviewed. Incidence rates of remnant gastric cancer, laryngeal cancer, and esophageal cancer detected after follow‐up EGD were determined, and risk factors for secondary cancers were examined. The characteristics of clinicopathological diagnoses of secondary cancers were reviewed and compared according to the frequency of follow‐up EGD.ResultsThe average annual frequency of EGD was 0.7, while the 5‐year cumulative incidence rates of remnant gastric cancer and secondary laryngeal and esophageal cancers were 2.9% and 1.3%, respectively. Risk factors for remnant gastric cancer included heavy smoking, proximal gastrectomy, and tumor size ≥ 30 mm. All secondary cancers were resectable upon diagnosis, with endoscopically resectable cancer accounting for 81.0% of cases. Our results found a significantly higher proportion of endoscopically resectable cancers during regular follow‐up than during infrequent follow‐up.ConclusionsFollow‐up EGD can be a useful modality for detecting secondary upper gastrointestinal tract cancer, likely leading to curative treatment for secondary cancer. Focusing on patients presenting with risk factors may increase the value of follow‐up EGD after gastrectomy.

The effect and clinical significance of using nathanson liver retractor on liver function tests in laparoscopic gastric cancer surgery.

There are very few studies in the literature investigating the changes caused by the Nathanson retractors in liver function tests (LFT) after LG and its clinical significance. The present study investigated the changes made by the Nathanson retractor used during LG on LFT and its clinical significance. The data of 236 patients, who underwent radical gastrectomy for primary gastric cancer at Surgical Oncology Unit in the period between January 2015 and January 2020 were retrospective studied. The patients were divided into two groups: laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG; 136 cases) and open gastrectomy (OG; 106 cases). Patients who have undergone cholecystectomy, with primary or secondary liver tumors, with chronic hepatic disease, who have preoperative high ALT, AST and bilirubin values were excluded from the study. LFT were measured preoperatively and postoperative day 1 (LFT1), LFT3, LFT5 and LFT7. LFT: ALT, AST and Total bilirubin (BIL). ALT1, ALT3, ALT5, ALT7 ALT values and AST1, AST3, AST5 AST values of the patients in the LG group were found to be significantly higher (P &lt;0.001). Mean total bilirubin values of the groups were similar (P &gt;0.05). In order to evaluate how the increase in LFT due to the use of the Nathanson retractors reflected on the patients&apos; clinic, we divided the patients who underwent LG into two groups based on ALT increase in ALT1: Normal and Elevated. The in-hospital mortality rates (P = 0.080) and oral nutrition time (P = 0.913) of the groups were similar. No liver infarction developed in any of the groups. The duration of stay in the ICU was significantly longer in individuals with elevated LFT (P = 0.019). Although the use of the Nathanson retractor during LG causes an increase in liver function tests, this does not cause major clinical problems in patients. Key Words: Gastrectomy; gastric cancer; laparoscopy; liver enzymes; liver dysfunciton.

Association of Obesity with Worse Operative and Oncologic Outcomes for Patients Undergoing Gastric Cancer Resection.

How obesity has an impact on operative and oncologic outcomes for gastric cancer patients is unclear, and the influence of obesity on response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has not been evaluated. Patients who underwent curative gastrectomy for primary gastric cancer between 2000 and 2018 were retrospectively identified. After stratification for NAC, operative morbidity, mortality, overall survival (OS), and disease-specific survival (DSS) were compared among three body mass index (BMI) categories: normal BMI (<25kg/m2), mild obesity (25-35kg/m2), and severe obesity (≥35kg/m2). During the study period, 984 patients underwent upfront surgery, and 484 patients received NAC. Tumor stage did not differ among the BMI groups. However, the rates of pathologic response to NAC were significantly lower for the patients with severe obesity (10% vs 40%; p<0.001). Overall complications were more frequent among the obese patients (44.3% for obese vs 24.9% for normal BMI, p<0.001). Intraabdominal infections were also more frequent in obese patients (13.9% for obese vs 4.7% for normal BMI, p=0.001). In the upfront surgery cohort, according to the BMI, OS and DSS did not differ, whereas in the NAC cohort, severe obesity was independently associated with worse OS [hazard ratio (HR) 1.87; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-3.48; p=0.047] and disease-specific survival (DSS) (HR 2.08; 95% CI 1.07-4.05; p=0.031). For the gastric cancer patients undergoing curative gastrectomy, obesity was associated with significantly lower rates of pathologic response to NAC and more postoperative complications, as well as shorter OS and DSS for the patients receiving NAC.

Optimal extent of lymph node dissection in patients with gastric cancer who underwent non-curative endoscopic submucosal dissection with a positive vertical margin

BackgroundThe optimal extent of lymph node dissection in patients receiving non-curative endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and diagnosed with a positive vertical margin is unclear. This study attempted to identify optimal candidates for D2 lymph node dissection among these patients. MethodsThis study included patients who underwent gastrectomy for primary gastric cancer following non-curative ESD with a positive vertical margin between January 2002 and December 2018. We classified the patients according to the positive vertical margin pattern into an obvious exposure group and a non-obvious exposure group. We developed a score model for predicting lymph node metastasis (LNM) using factors selected by multivariate analyses and beta regression coefficients, and the incidence of LNM was evaluated. ResultsThis study included 110 patients. LNM was detected in 17 patients (15%). We developed a predictive scoring system as follows: tumor size >30 mm (0, No; 1, Yes) + undifferentiated type tumor in the invasive front (0, No; 2, Yes) + depth of submucosal invasion > 1500 μm (0, No; 1, Yes) + obvious tumor exposure at the vertical margin (0, No; 1, Yes). In patients with 5 points, the incidence rates of all and group 2 LNM were as high as 60% and 40%, respectively. Conversely, in patients with fewer than 5 points, the incidence rates of all and group 2 LNM were just 11% and 5%, respectively. ConclusionIn patients with 5 points according to our score model for predicting LNM, gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection is recommended.

Prognostic value of modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) and neutrophil-lymphocyte ration (NLR) after curative resection for gastric cancer.

295 Background: Several biomarkers based on serum chemistry have been reported to be associated with the prognosis of several types of cancers. This retrospective study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of preoperative mGPS and NLR after curative resection for gastric cancer. Methods: A total of 295 patients who underwent curative gastrectomy for primary gastric cancer at our institution from January 2013 to December 2017 were enrolled in this study. The mGPS was calculated by CRP and Alb using standard thresholds ( &gt; 0.5 mg/dL for CRP and &lt; 3.5 g/dL for Alb). The NLR was defined as absolute neutrophil count divided by absolute lymphocyte count. The survival curves of patients stratified by each parameter were plotted by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared by log-rank test. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to select parameters independently correlated with prognosis. Results: The median follow-up time was 36.7 months, and 29 patients died during follow-up. The estimated 5-year survival rate was 83.1%. Results from the univariate analyses showed mGPS2 (CRP &gt; 0.5 mg/dL and Alb &lt; 3.5 g/dL) was associated with poor survival while NLR and NLRc was not (P &lt; 0.001, P = 0.506, and P = 0.423, respectively). In the multivariate analyses, the mGPS2 was identified as an independent predictive factor for OS in gastric cancer patients after curative resection (HR: 2.624; 95% CI: 1.058-6.505; P = 0.037). Conclusions: Preoperative mGPS2 was associated with worse survival after curative resection of gastric cancer patients. Based on our study, those with mPGS2 may be warranted to receive additional therapy or nutritional support to acquire better survival.

The pattern of postoperative quality of life following minimally invasive gastrectomy for gastric cancer: a prospective cohort from Korean multicenter robotic gastrectomy trial.

PurposeQuality of life (QOL) has become important in the trend of emphasizing patient satisfaction. This study aimed to evaluate the QOL in patients who underwent laparoscopic or robotic gastrectomy for gastric cancer.MethodsA prospective trial was performed involving patients who underwent laparoscopic or robotic gastrectomy for primary gastric cancer at 11 hospitals in Korea. Within this comparative trial, QOL, postoperative pain, and long-term complications were exanimated. The quality-of-life questionnaire (QLQ)-C30 and QLQ-STO22 developed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer were used for the QOL survey. We compared the data after dividing it into several types of characteristics as follows; device (robotic or laparoscopic), operation type, pathological stage, and sex. Biased components were extracted by logistic regression analysis. Propensity score matching was applied to the data set with the biased components.ResultsIn total, 434 patients (211 for laparoscopic surgery and 223 for robotic surgery) were enrolled, out of which 321 patients who responded to both preoperative and postoperative surveys were selected for analysis. Robotic gastrectomy was not different from laparoscopic gastrectomy with respect to postoperative QOL. Distal gastrectomy showed better scores than total gastrectomy in terms of role functioning, social functioning, fatigue, nausea/vomiting, pain, dyspnea, constipation, financial difficulties, dysphagia, eating restrictions, anxiety, taste, and body image. Male patients showed better scores on the 19 scales compared to female patients.ConclusionRobotic and laparoscopic approaches for gastric cancer surgery did not differ from each other with respect to QOL. Distal gastrectomy resulted in better QOL than total gastrectomy.

Lymphocyte-to-C-reactive protein ratio and score are clinically feasible biomarkers in gastric cancer patients.

48 Background: Systemic inflammation arising from complex host-tumor interactions is considered the seventh hallmark of cancer. The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the clinical feasibility of our newly developed ‘lymphocyte-to-C-reactive protein (CRP) ratio’ (LCR) and ‘lymphocyte CRP score’ (LCS) for predicting short- and long-term outcomes in patients with gastric cancer. Methods: In total, 551 patients who underwent gastrectomy for primary gastric cancer at our institution were enrolled in this study. Preoperative LCR was calculated as follows: lymphocyte count (number/µL)/CRP level (mg/dL), and scoring system (LCS) was devised based on the cut-off value of both lymphocytes (1 × 109/L) and CRP (0.3 mg/dL) from previous evidences. Results: Reduced pre-operative LCRs significantly correlated with all of the well-established clinicopathological factors for disease development, including advanced T stage, venous invasion, lymphatic vessel invasion, lymph node metastasis hepatic metastasis, peritoneal metastasis, distant metastasis, and advanced tumor-node-metastasis stage. In the short-term outcome, low pre-operative LCR was an independent predictive factor for post-operative surgical site infection (SSI: OR:1.82, 95.0% CI:1.06–3.12, P = 0.03). In the long-term outcome, low pre-operative LCR was an independent prognostic factor for disease-free survival (DFS: HR:1.53, 95.0% CI:1.01–2.32, P = 0.04) and overall survival (OS: HR:2.03, 95.0% CI:1.42–2.90, P &lt; 0.001), and prognostic impact of pre-operative LCR were verified in patients with metastatic and non-metastatic gastric cancer using the same cut-off value. Furthermore, our developed scoring system using lymphocyte and CRP could also demonstrated all of clinical significance using same difinite cut-off value in GC patients (SSI: OR: 4.43, 95.0% CI:1.75–11.2, P = 0.002; DFS: HR: 3.82, 95.0% CI:1.81–8.06, P &lt; 0.001; OS: HR:2.88, 95.0% CI:1.48–5.61, P = 0.002). Conclusions: Assessment of lymphocytes and CRP could aid physicians in determining surgical risk, and oncological risk, thus faciliating appropriate peri-operative and post-operative management of patients with gastric cancer.

CT-guided percutaneous cryoablation for palliative therapy of gastric cancer liver metastases

ObjectiveLiver metastases occur in approximately 4%–14% of gastric cancer patients and are associated with high mortality. However, no standardized treatment approach is available for these patients. We aimed to assess the clinical outcomes of patients with gastric cancer liver metastases (GCLM) who underwent percutaneous cryoablation. MethodsWe retrospectively enrolled 19 patients with 27 metastatic hepatic tumors who underwent cryoablation for liver metastases after gastrectomy for primary gastric cancer. Complications, overall survival (OS), local tumor progression-free survival (PFS), recurrence rates, and quality of life were assessed. ResultsAfter cryoablation therapy, the median OS for all 19 patients was 16.0 months (range, 5–50 months), and the 1-, 2-, and 3-year OS rates were 78.9%, 43.4%, and 21.7%, respectively. The median local tumor PFS was 8.0 months (range, 3–24 months), and the local tumor PFS rates at 6 and 12 months were 59.2% and 23.2%, respectively. Overall, patients' quality of life improved after cryoablation therapy (P < 0.05). Complications in this study were mild; no severe complications caused by technique were detected. ConclusionsCryoablation provided good local control, improved patients' quality of life and had a low complication rate. Our research showed that cryoablation may be an effective palliative treatment for GCLM.

Impact of extra-nodal metastasis on survival in gastric cancer patients with lymph node involvement.

57 Background: Extra-nodal metastasis (ENM) is defined as a tumor nodule without lymph node structure, and distinguished from lymph node metastasis by histological findings. Despite the possible difference in metastatic mechanism, both are counted as metastasized lymph nodes according to the 3rd English edition of Japanese Classification of Gastric Carcinoma, and thus the prognostic value of ENM remains unclear. The aim of this study was to clarify the clinicopathogical characteristics and prognostic impact of ENM in gastric cancer patients with lymph node involvement. Methods: This study included 388 patients who underwent curative gastrectomy for primary gastric cancer between January 2009 and August 2013. A total of 2093 pathologically positive tumor nodules, including both metastatic lymph nodes and ENM, were examined. Clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes were compared between an ENM positive (ENMP) group (95 patients) and an ENM negative (ENMN) group (293 patients). In addition, multivariable analysis was performed to clarify the independent prognostic factors. Results: ENM was found in 269 of 2093 tumor nodules (12.9 percent). The incidence of ENM was significantly higher in patients with large tumor size, high pathological T stage (pT), high pathological N stage (pN) and in those with macroscopic infiltrative tumors, vascular and lymphatic invasion. Three-year relapse free survival was significantly worse in the ENMP group (56.5%) than in the ENMN group (82.4%, p &lt; 0.001). Multivariable analysis revealed that ENM as well as age, pT and histological type was an independent prognostic factor. Conclusions: ENM is an independent prognostic factor in gastric cancer patients with lymph node involvement. A new N classification stratified by the presence of ENM might be considered.

A Lymph Node Staging System for Gastric Cancer: A Hybrid Type Based on Topographic and Numeric Systems.

Although changing a lymph node staging system from an anatomically based system to a numerically based system in gastric cancer offers better prognostic performance, several problems can arise: it does not offer information on the anatomical extent of disease and cannot represent the extent of lymph node dissection. The purpose of this study was to discover an alternative lymph node staging system for gastric cancer. Data from 6025 patients who underwent gastrectomy for primary gastric cancer between January 2000 and December 2010 were reviewed. The lymph node groups were reclassified into lesser-curvature, greater-curvature, and extra-perigastric groups. Presence of any metastatic lymph node in one group was considered positive. Lymph node groups were further stratified into four (new N0–new N3) according to the number of positive lymph node groups. Survival outcomes with this new N staging were compared with those of the current TNM system. For validation, two centers in Japan (large center, n = 3443; medium center, n = 560) were invited. Even among the same pN stages, the more advanced new N stage showed worse prognosis, indicating that the anatomical extent of metastatic lymph nodes is important. The prognostic performance of the new staging system was as good as that of the current TNM system for overall advanced gastric cancer as well as lymph node—positive gastric cancer (Harrell C-index was 0.799, 0.726, and 0.703 in current TNM and 0.799, 0.727, and 0.703 in new TNM stage). Validation sets supported these outcomes. The new N staging system demonstrated prognostic performance equal to that of the current TNM system and could thus be used as an alternative.

Skip lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer: is it skipping or skipped?

Skip metastasis is the presence of a metastatic lymph node (LN) in an extraperigastric (EP) area without perigastric (PG) involvement. The mechanism and prognosis of skip metastasis are still unknown. The purpose of this study was to scrutinize the clinical significance of skip metastasis in gastric cancer. Data were reviewed from 6,025 patients who had undergone gastrectomy for primary gastric cancer. Patients were categorized as a PG-only group when the metastatic LNs were limited to only the PG area, as a PG + EP group if metastatic LNs extended to both the PG area and the EP area, and as a skip group if metastatic LNs were in the EP area but there were no metastatic LNs in the PG area. After we had performed matching, the prognosis of the skip group was worse than that of the PG-only group (adjusted hazard ratio 1.69, 95% confidence interval 1.13-2.54) and was similar to that of the PG + EP group (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.54, 95% confidence interval 0.92-2.59). The number of retrieved LNs was less in the skip group than in the other groups, especially from the PG area (p < 0.001). The prognosis of the skip group was worse than that of the PG-only group and was similar to that of the PG + EP group when the tumor stage was considered. It is difficult to conclude whether skip metastasis is real skipping of cancer cells or a result of inadequate LN sampling. Further evaluation of LNs in the PG area of the skip group could provide more clues for the mechanism of skip metastasis.

C-reactive protein on postoperative day 3 as a predictor of infectious complications following gastric cancer resection.

26 Background: Postoperative infectious complications (PICs) after gastric cancer resection remain a clinically relevant problem. Early detection of PICs, before critical illness develops, may be of considerable clinical benefit. The aims of this study were to investigate the predictive factors for PICs and to define the clinical parameters for their early detection in patients with gastric cancer resection. Methods: Clinical data of 417 consecutive patients undergoing elective gastrectomy for primary gastric cancer between 2009 and 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. Diagnostic accuracy was determined by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses identified clinical factors predicting PICs of grade III or more according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. Results: Forty-four patients developed PICs of grade ≥ III (10.6%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 7.6–13.5%). As a systemic inflammatory marker, C-reactive protein (CRP) on postoperative day (POD) 3 had superior diagnostic accuracy for PICs (AUC 0.802, 95% CI 0.735–0.870) with a calculated cut-off value of 17.7 mg/dl, yielding a sensitivity of 0.66 (95% CI 0.524–0.774) and a specificity of 0.84 (95% CI 0.821–0.850). Multivariate analysis identified CRP on POD 3 of 17.7 mg/dl or greater (odds ratio [OR] 8.094, 95% CI 3.568–19.342) as well as clinical stage ≥ II (OR 4.445, 95% CI 1.478–15.881) and operation time ≥ 250 min (OR 3.638, 95% CI 1.449–10.137) as significant predictive factors for PICs after gastrectomy. Conclusions: Elevated CRP levels on POD 3 will help physicians predict postoperative course and facilitate decision-making regarding the prompt, comprehensive clinical search and therapeutic approach for PICs.

C-reactive protein on postoperative day 3 as a predictor of infectious complications following gastric cancer resection.

Postoperative infectious complications (PICs) after gastric cancer resection remain a clinically relevant problem. Early detection of PICs, before critical illness develops, may be of considerable clinical benefit. The aims of this study were to investigate the predictive factors for PICs and to define the clinical parameters for detecting them early in patients with gastric cancer resection. Clinical data for 417 consecutive patients undergoing elective gastrectomy for primary gastric cancer between 2009 and 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. Diagnostic accuracy was determined by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses identified clinical factors predicting PICs of grade III or more according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. Forty-four patients developed PICs of grade ≥ III [10.6%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 7.6-13.5%]. As a systemic inflammatory marker, C-reactive protein (CRP) on postoperative day (POD) 3 had superior diagnostic accuracy for PICs (AUC 0.802, 95% CI 0.735-0.870) with a calculated cutoff value of 17.7 mg/dl, yielding a sensitivity of 0.66 (95% CI 0.524-0.774) and a specificity of 0.84 (95% CI 0.821-0.850). Multivariate analysis identified CRP on POD 3 of 17.7 mg/dl or greater [odds ratio (OR) 8.094, 95% CI 3.568-19.342) as well as clinical stage ≥ II (OR 4.445, 95% CI 1.478-15.881) and operation time ≥ 250 min (OR 3.638, 95% CI 1.449-10.137) as significant predictive factors for PICs after gastrectomy. Elevated CRP levels on POD 3 will help physicians predict the postoperative course and facilitate decision-making regarding prompt, comprehensive clinical searches and therapeutic approaches for PICs.

Metachronous liver metastasis after curative gastrectomy for gastric adenocarcinoma

Purpose: The prognosis of patients with liver metastasis from gastric cancer is poor and the optimal treatment remains undetermined. This study identified prognostic factors for survival of patients with metachronous liver metastasis with no other metastatic site after gastrectomy for primary gastric cancer. We also evaluated the clinical impact of hepatic resection. Methods: Between 1997 and 2013, 19,588 curative gastrectomies for gastric adenocarcinoma were performed and 52 patients were diagnosed with metastasis to only the liver. We retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathologic factors of these patients. Results: The median time from gastrectomy to diagnosis of liver metastasis was 16 months (range, 1–65 months). Median survival time after the diagnosis of liver metastasis was 13 months (range, 3–64 months). The 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year patient survival rates after diagnosis of liver metastasis were 53.8%, 26.6%, and 19.9%, respectively. Twelve patients (23%) underwent liver resection for liver metastasis. The 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year overall survival rates were 92%, 42%, and 42% in the hepatic resection group and 43%, 13%, and 7% in the non-hepatic resection group (P=0.002). Multivariate analysis showed that hepatic resection, pathologic stage â and â ¡ of the primary tumor, and intestinal type in Lauren classification were predisposing factors for patient survival. Conclusion: Liver resection for resectable metachronous liver metastasis diagnosed after curative gastrectomy increases survival in patients with pathologic stage â or â ¡ and intestinal type in Lauren classification for the primary tumor. Keywords: Hepatectomy, Neoplasm metastasis, Stomach neoplasm, Recurrence, Survival, Gastrectomy

Usefulness of Helicobacter pylori eradication for precancerous lesions of the gastric remnant.

Secondary stomach cancer in lesions of the remnant stomach occurs relatively soon after distal gastrectomy using the Billroth I reconstruction procedure. Prophylactic eradication of Helicobacter pylori after endoscopic resection of early gastric cancer should be used to prevent the development of metachronous gastric carcinoma. However, the effect of H. pylori eradication on the gastric remnant has not been clearly determined. Eight patients who were H. pylori-positive after distal gastrectomy for primary gastric cancer underwent eradication therapy and were followed by endoscopy for 9 years. Upper gastroenteroscopy series were done before and at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 years after eradication, and biopsy specimens were taken from the lesser and greater curvatures, respectively. Histological changes, including chronic inflammation, activity, atrophy, and intestinal metaplasia, were evaluated using the updated Sydney system. Successful eradication was confirmed using the urea breath test in all eight patients. Chronic inflammation scores were improved after eradication at both the lesser (mean scores ± SD: before eradication, 2.9±0.5; 1 year after, 2.3±0.4; 3 years, 1.8±0.3; 5 years, 1.5±0.3; 7 years, 1.3±0.3; and 9 years, 1.0±0.3) and greater curvatures (before, 2.9±0.4; 1 year after, 1.9±0.3; 3 years, 1.4±0.4; 5 years, 1.3±0.3; 7 years, 1.1±0.2; and 9 years, 0.6±0.3). Atrophy scores improved more quickly after eradication than chronic inflammation scores at both the lesser (before, 2.4±0.5; 1 year after, 1.8±0.4; 3 years, 0.8±0.3; 5 years, 0.3±0.1; 7 years, 0.0; and 9 years, 0.0) and greater curvatures (before, 2.2±0.4; 1 year after, 1.3±0.3; 3 years, 0.5±0.3; 5 years, 0.0; 7 years, 0.0; and 9 years, 0.0). No secondary stomach cancers were found on endoscopy. Undergoing H. pylori eradication improved possible precancerous lesions of the gastric remnant among patients who had undergone distal gastrectomy. Prophylactic H. pylori eradication in the gastric remnant may be useful in preventing the development of metachronous gastric carcinoma.

Erythropoietin-Producing Hepatocellular A1 is an Independent Prognostic Factor for Gastric Cancer.

Erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular (Eph) receptors are the largest subfamily of receptor tyrosine kinases that have been investigated as a possible target for molecular targeted therapy of various cancers. Patients (n = 222) who underwent gastrectomy for primary gastric cancer were enrolled in this study. Tumor protein expression of EphA1 and EphB6 in surgically resected specimen was investigated using immunohistochemistry. The associations between expression of EphA1 and EphB6 and clinicopathological factors and prognosis were analyzed. High expression of EphA1 was associated with undifferentiated histology (P = 0.002), depth of tumor (P < 0.001), lymph node metastasis (P = 0.001), venous invasion (P = 0.015), stage (P = 0.001), and remote metastasis or recurrence (P < 0.001). In univariate analysis, patients with high expression of EphA1 had significantly poorer overall survival and relapse-free survival compared with patients with low EphA1 expression. The expression level of EphB6 was not associated with any clinicopathological factors and patient survival. Multivariate analysis indicated that depth of tumor [hazard ratio (HR) 9.26, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.03-0.46, P = 0.003], lymph node metastasis (HR 9.26, 95 % CI 0.07-0.39, P < 0.001), and high expression of EphA1 (HR 1.86, 95 % CI 0.29-0.99, P = 0.048) are independent prognostic factors for relapse-free survival. EphA1 is a possible target of molecular targeted therapy of gastric cancer.