Prognosis of Patients With Gastric Cancer Who Underwent Proximal Gastrectomy

Proximal gastrectomy (PG) has been introduced for patients who are preoperatively diagnosed with early gastric cancer located in the upper third of the stomach. In the present study, we compared the prognosis of patients who underwent PG with that of patients who underwent total gastrectomy (TG). Between 1997 and 2006, 51 patients were diagnosed with early gastric cancer located in the upper third of the stomach and underwent PG. In the same period, 35 patients were diagnosed with early gastric cancer and underwent TG. Of these, in 24 patients, the cancer was localized in the middle to upper part of the stomach, and 11 patients had multiple cancers. We compared the clinicopathologic differences and prognoses between the two groups. Significantly fewer lymph nodes were dissected in the PG group (mean, 18.2) than in the TG group (mean, 36.6;P < 0.001). Complications were detected in 17.6% of patients in the PG group and in 14.3% of patients in the TG group, which was not significant (P = 0.678). The overall and disease-specific 5-year survival rates in the 51 patients who underwent PG (88.7% and 97.1%, respectively) were not different from those in the 35 patients who underwent TG (87.6% and 93.4%; P = 0.971 and P = 0.553; respectively). These findings indicate that PG can be performed safely and may have various advantages compared with TG in terms of patients'' daily lives.Key words: Early gastric cancer, Proximal gastrectomy, Prognosis, Total gastrectomyTotal gastrectomy (TG) has been widely used as a standard treatment for gastric cancers located in the upper third of the stomach to achieve a sufficient resection margin and more radical lymphadenectomy.¹ Recently, however, there has been increased interest in the use of proximal gastrectomy (PG), which can be performed with preservation of the physiologic function of the gastric remnant. Many reports have indicated that PG may be better than TG in terms of the quality of life of patients after gastrectomy.^2–4The principal difference between TG and PG is whether the lymph nodes are dissected radically or not. In patients undergoing PG, the lymph nodes located in the lesser curvature (No. 3) and the right gastroepiploic artery (No. 4d) are not dissected completely. Thus, the radicality of PG is inferior to that of TG in gastric cancer. However, Ooki et al⁵ reported that, in proximal gastric cancer, if the tumor invasion is limited at the muscularis propria (mp), no patients have metastatic lymph nodes at the right gastroepiploic artery (No. 4d). Thus, in our hospital, the indication for PG is limited to patients who are preoperatively diagnosed with early gastric cancer located in the upper third of the stomach. Thus, the optimal surgical strategy for proximal gastric cancer remains controversial. In the present study, to clarify the clinicopathologic characteristics of patients with gastric cancer who underwent PG, we retrospectively compared the prognosis and complications between patients who underwent PG with those who underwent TG.     

351例胃癌术后患者的预后因素分析

目的 探讨胃癌术后影响胃癌患者生存的因素.方法 将2004年1月至2009年12月期间在笔者所在医院行手术治疗并获随访的351例胃癌患者作为研究对象,对其临床病理资料及随访资料进行单因素和多因素分析.结果 单因素分析显示患者年龄以及肿瘤部位、T分期、N分期、TNM分期和分化程度与预后有关(P＜0.05);多因素分析显示肿瘤部位、T分期、N分期和术后化疗是影响胃癌术后生存率的独立因素(P＜0.05).结论 肿瘤部位、浸润深度、淋巴结转移率及术后辅助化疗是影响胃癌术后生存的重要因素.对于有淋巴结转移或处于TNMⅢ期的胃癌患者,术后化疗可以提高其生存率.     

Preoperative Hematocrit (HCT) is a Novel and Simple Predictive Marker for Gastric Cancer Patients Who Underwent Radical Gastrectomy

Annals of Surgical Oncology - Previous studies have suggested that preoperative anemia negatively influences survival in patients with gastric cancer (GC). We sought to investigate which anemic...     

Prognostic Significance of Perineural Invasion in Patients with Gastric Cancer Who Underwent Curative Resection

Background

The prognostic significance of perineural invasion (PNI) in gastric cancer has been previously investigated in a few studies, but had not reached a consensus. The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic value of PNI in patients with gastric cancer who underwent curative resection.

Materials and Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 238 patients who had undergone curative gastrectomy. Paraffin sections of surgical specimens from all patients were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. PNI was defined when carcinoma cells infiltrated into the perineurium or neural fascicles. PNI and the other prognostic factors were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results

PNI was detected as positive in 180 of the 238 patients (75.6%). pT stage, tumor size, lymph node metastasis, clinical stage, tumor differentiation, Borrmann classification, histological type, lymphatic vessel invasion, and blood vessel invasion were closely associated with the presence of PNI. The PNI-positive tumors had significantly larger size and more lymph node metastasis than the PNI-negative tumors (P = .001 and P < .001, respectively). The median survival of the PNI-positive patients was significantly worse than that of the PNI-negative patients (28.1 vs. 64.9 months, P = .001). Multivariate analysis indicated that the positivity of PNI was an independent prognostic factor (P = .02, hazard ratio [HR]: 2.75; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]:1.12–3.13) as were classical clinicopathological features.

Conclusion

Our results showed that the frequency of PNI was high in patients with gastric cancer who underwent curative gastrectomy and the proportion of PNI positivity increased with progression and clinical stage of disease. PNI may be useful in detecting patients who had poor prognosis after curative resection in gastric cancer.     

Overweight or Obesity is an Unfavorable Long-Term Prognostic Factor for Patients who Underwent Gastrectomy for Stage II/III Gastric Cancer

World Journal of Surgery - Obesity has been reported to be a prognostic factor for many diseases in epidemiological studies; however, the results of studies examining the relationship between...     

Salvage Gastrectomy Following a Combination of Biweekly Paclitaxel and S-1 for Stage IV Gastric Cancer

Background and aim  We investigated the clinical benefits of salvage gastrectomy for stage IV gastric cancer patients whose distant lesions showed complete response after chemotherapy. Methods  We enrolled 18 stage IV gastric cancer patients whose distant metastases had disappeared or were controlled by a combination of biweekly paclitaxel (PTX) and S-1. After chemotherapy, these patients received gastrectomy with lymph node dissection. The postoperative outcome was analyzed with respect to both the histological effects of chemotherapy and tumor behavior. Results  Of the 18 patients, 8 had distant lymph node metastases, 9 had peritoneal dissemination, and five had multiple liver metastases prior to chemotherapy. Fourteen patients received curative surgery (R0). No severe postoperative complications were encountered. Pathological evaluation revealed grade 3 and grade 2 tumor regression in the primary lesion in one and five patients, respectively, and grade 3 and grade 2 tumor regression in the lymph nodes in one and six patients, respectively. Univariate analysis of the patients’ prognosis identified R number, gross tumor type, histological grade of tumor regression, and gender as significant factors. Multivariate analysis showed that only the R number was an independent prognostic factor. Conclusion  R0 salvage gastrectomy following a combination of biweekly PTX and S-1 may have significant clinical efficacy for advanced gastric cancer patients.     

Survival Benefit of Palliative Gastrectomy in Gastric Cancer Patients with Peritoneal Metastasis

Background

The survival benefit of palliative gastrectomy in patients with peritoneal metastasis as a single incurable factor remains unclear.

Methods

A total of 148 gastric cancer patients with peritoneal metastasis underwent gastrectomy or chemotherapy at the Shizuoka Cancer Center between September 2002 and December 2008 and were included in this study. The effects of gastrectomy and chemotherapy on their long-term outcome were investigated. Multivariate analysis was also performed to identify independent prognostic factors.

Results

Gastrectomy was performed in 82 patients and subsequent chemotherapy was administered to 55. Chemotherapy was selected as an initial treatment for 66 patients. Median survival time (MST) was identical between patients with and without gastrectomy (13.1 vs. 12.0?months; P?=?0.410). Conversely, MST was significantly longer in patients who received chemotherapy (13.7?months) than those who did not (7.1?months; P?=?0.048). According to the results of multivariate analysis, chemotherapy (hazards ratio [HR]?=?0.476; 95?% CI?=?0.288–0.787) was selected as an independent prognostic factor, while gastrectomy was not.

Conclusions

The results of the present study did not show a survival benefit of palliative gastrectomy in selected patients with peritoneal metastasis. Instead, chemotherapy has to be considered as an initial treatment for these patients.     

Recurrence Following Laparoscopy-Assisted Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer: A Multicenter Retrospective Analysis of 1,417 Patients

Background

The risk of recurrence and recurrence patterns after laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy for gastric cancer remain unclear. The objective of this study is to assess recurrence and its timing, patterns, and risk factors following laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy from multicenter data.

Methods

A retrospective multicenter study was performed using data from 1,485 patients who had undergone laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy for gastric cancer at ten institutions from 1998 to 2005. Recurrence and its timing and patterns were reviewed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify risk factors for recurrence.

Results

Excluding 68 patients (9 postoperative mortalities, 1 synchronous distant metastasis, 2 nonadenocarcinomas, and 56 losses to follow-up), 50 of 1,417 patients (3.5%) had recurrences. Incidence of recurrence was 1.6% (19/1186) in early gastric cancer and 13.4% (31/231) in advanced gastric cancer. Recurrence occurred in 34 of 50 patients (68.0%) within 2 years of surgery, and in 45 of 50 patients (90.0%) within 3 years. The recurrence pattern was hematogenous in 17 patients (34.0%), peritoneal in 11 (22.0%), locoregional in 10 (20.0%), distant lymph nodes in 2 (4.0%), and mixed in 10 (20.0%). Advanced T-classification and lymph node metastases were risk factors for recurrence.

Conclusions

Laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy showed satisfactory long-term oncologic outcomes similar to those of open surgery. The study provides additional evidence suggesting that laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy is a good alternative to open gastrectomy in patients with gastric cancer of relatively early stage, although results of a randomized controlled trial and more long-term follow-up are needed to provide conclusive evidence.     

Soluble Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 as a Prognostic Marker for Stage II Colorectal Cancer Patients

Background Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) represents a circulating form of ICAM-1 that is constitutively expressed or is inducible, which localizes to the cell surfaces of different cell lines and is related to the metastatic potential of cancer cells. The aim of the present study was to determine the relationships between the preoperative serum concentration of sICAM-1 and clinicopathological features, established tumor markers and prognosis, in colorectal cancer patients. Methods One hundred and thirty-eight patients with histologically proven colorectal cancer and 40 normal volunteers were included in this trial. Preoperative serum was collected, and sICAM-1 levels were assayed using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Results The mean sICAM-1 level in patients was significantly higher than that in controls, and increased with disease progression. The prognosis of patients with an elevated sICAM-1 level was significantly worse than that of patients with a normal sICAM-1 level. In a Cox multivariate analysis, the strongest prognostic factor in all patients was distant metastasis followed by sICAM-1 level, while in patients with stage II classification, the strongest prognostic factor was serum level of sICAM-1. The prognosis of stage II patients positive for sICAM-1 was comparable to that of stage III patients. Conclusions Preoperative sICAM-1 level is an independent prognostic marker for stage II colorectal cancer. Measuring serum sICAM-1 may provide valuable information, especially for stage II patients, when selecting appropriate candidates for adjuvant chemotherapy.     

Surgical and Survival Outcome Following Truly Palliative Gastrectomy in Patients with Incurable Gastric Cancer

Background and objectives

Gastrectomy is sometimes performed even in patients with incurable factors, particularly when they have urgent symptoms. The aim of this study was to clarify the clinicopathological characteristics of patients undergoing palliative gastrectomy and to identify prognostic factors.

Methods

This study included consecutive 137 gastric cancer patients with urgent symptoms who underwent gastrectomy with macroscopic residual tumor at Shizuoka Cancer Center. Clinicopathological characteristics and surgical outcomes were investigated. In addition, we used the Cox proportional hazards model to identify independent prognostic factors.

Results

Of 137 patients, urgent symptoms were bleeding in 58 patients and stenosis in 112 patients. Postoperative complications were observed in 58 patients (42 %). Chemotherapy was given after surgery in 94 patients (70 %). Median survival time for all patients was 9.9 months, and was longer in patients receiving chemotherapy (11.1 months) than in those not receiving chemotherapy (6.8 months; p = 0.002). Multivariate analysis identified macroscopic type (hazard ratio, 0.471; 95 % confidence interval, 0.364–0.927) as an independent prognostic factor.

Conclusions

The postoperative complication rate was high and survival outcome was poor in patients undergoing palliative gastrectomy. Postoperative chemotherapy may carry a better survival outcome, so we should try to give chemotherapy after palliative gastrectomy.

     

Sarcopenic Obesity Is Associated with Severe Postoperative Complications in Gastric Cancer Patients Undergoing Gastrectomy: a Prospective Study

Objective

This study aimed to determine the risk of severe postoperative complications (SPCs) in patients with gastric cancer and to construct a nomogram based on independently related factors to identify high-risk patients.

Methods

We conducted a prospective study of 636 consecutive patients with gastric cancer who underwent radical gastrectomy. Degrees of sarcopenia and obesity were calculated before surgery. Factors contributing to SPCs were determined using univariate and multivariate analysis. A nomogram consisting of the independent risk factors was constructed to quantify the individual risk of SPCs.

Results

Logistic analysis revealed that sarcopenic obesity, age, open surgery, and combined resection were independent prognostic factors for SPCs. Sarcopenic obese patients have the highest risk in all patients (sarcopenic obesity vs normal, OR?=?6.575 p?=?0.001; sarcopenic obesity vs obesity, OR?=?5.833 p?=?0.001; sarcopenic obesity vs sarcopenia, OR?=?2.571 p?=?0.032), while obese patients share the similar rate of SPCs with normal people (obesity vs normal, OR?=?1.056 p?=?0.723). The nomogram we constructed was able to quantify the risk of SPCs reliably (c-index, 0.737).

Conclusions

Sarcopenic obesity, together with age, open surgery, and combined resection are independent predictors of SPCs. Obesity will significantly increase the risk of SPCs in sarcopenic patient with gastric cancer, but it will not bring higher risk to normal patients. Our nomogram is a simple and practical instrument to identify patients at high risk of surgical complications.

     

肥胖患者的腹腔镜辅助胃癌根治术

目的探讨肥胖因素对腹腔镜辅助胃癌根治术近期疗效的影响。方法回顾性分析我科2006年3月-2011年10月412例腹腔镜辅助胃癌根治术的临床资料,其中体重指数（body mass index,BMI）92594例（肥胖组）,BMI〈25318例（非肥胖组）,比较2组患者术中情况、术后恢复、手术并发症等指标。结果肥胖组手术时间明显长于非肥胖组[（220．7±40．4）min vs．（185．5±29．1）min,t=9．365,P=0．000],术中出血量明显多于非肥胖组[（132．1±34．1）mlvs．（106．2±18．6）ml,t=9．572,P=0．000],2组肛门排气时间虽有统计学差异,但无实际临床意义[（3．6±1．0）dVB．（3．4±0．8）d,t=2．005,P=0．046]。肥胖组淋巴结清扫数目为（20．8±7．5）枚,明显少于非肥胖组（27．1±8．7）枚（t=-6．356,P=0．000）。肥胖组与非肥胖组术后并发症发生率分别为19．1％（18／94）和13．2％（42／318）,无统计学差异（χ2=2．058,P=0．151）。2组围手术期死亡率分别为2．1％（2／94）和0．3％（1／318）,无统计学差异（P=0．132）。结论肥胖会延长腹腔镜辅助胃癌根治术的手术时间,影响淋巴结清扫,但不增加术后并发症发生率,开展初期应选择BMI〈25的非肥胖病例。     

Risk Factors for Peritoneal Recurrence in Stage II/III Gastric Cancer Patients Who Received S-1 Adjuvant Chemotherapy After D2 Gastrectomy

Background  

The peritoneum is still the most frequent site of recurrence in stage II/III gastric cancer patients, although the survival rate was improved by the introduction of S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy. The objective of this retrospective study was to clarify the risk factors for peritoneal recurrence in patients who received S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy.     

Limited M1 Disease: A Significant Prognostic Factor for Stage IV Breast Cancer

Purpose

The prognosis of patients with breast cancer presenting with distant metastasis can vary depending on disease extent. This study evaluates a definition of limited M1 disease in association with survival in a cohort of women presenting with metastatic breast cancer.

Methods

The study cohort comprised 692 women referred to the BC Cancer Agency between 1996 and 2005 with M1 breast cancer at presentation. Limited M1 disease was defined as <5 metastatic lesions confined to one anatomic subsite. Extensive M1 disease was defined as ??5 lesions or disease in more than one subsite. Clinicopathologic and treatment characteristics and overall survival (OS) were compared between subjects with limited (n?=?233) versus extensive (n?=?459) M1 disease. Multivariable analysis was performed by Cox regression modeling.

Results

Median follow-up time was 1.9?years. Five-year Kaplan-Meier OS was significantly higher in patients with limited compared to extensive M1 disease (29.7 vs. 13.1?%, p?p?Conclusions Limited M1 disease, defined as <5 metastatic lesions confined to one anatomic subsite, is a relevant favorable prognostic factor in patients with stage IV breast cancer. This definition may be used in conjunction with other clinicopathologic factors to select patients for more aggressive systemic and locoregional treatments.     

Surgical Outcomes of Gastrectomy for Elderly Patients with Gastric Cancer

Background

This study was designed to determine the surgical outcomes of gastric cancer in elderly patients. This information can help establish appropriate treatment for these patients.

Methods

A total of 1,193 patients with gastric cancer who underwent gastrectomy between 1995 and 2010 were enrolled in this retrospective study. The clinicopathologic features of 104 elderly patients (aged ≥80 years) were compared with those of 1,089 nonelderly patients.

Results

(1) Tumors located in the lower-third of the stomach, differentiated cancer, and surgery with limited lymph node dissection were more common in elderly patients. However, there was no difference in the proportion of laparoscopic gastrectomy between elderly and nonelderly patients. (2) Although surgical complication rates were similar in the two groups, the operative mortality rate was higher in elderly patients (1.9 %) than in nonelderly patients (0.7 %). (3) Elderly patients had a significantly poorer overall survival rate, whereas the disease-specific survival rates of the two groups were similar. Limited lymph node dissection did not influence the disease-specific survival rate of elderly patients. (4) The median life expectancy of elderly gastric cancer survivors was 9.8 years in patients aged 80–84 years and 6.0 years in those ≥85 years. The patients with limited lymph node dissection had slightly better prognosis.

Conclusions

The treatment results in elderly patients were comparable to those in nonelderly patients. These findings suggest that R0 resection with at least limited lymph node dissection according to Japanese guidelines should be considered, even for elderly patients.     

Most Important Lymph Node Information in Gastric Cancer: Multivariate Prognostic Study

Background: In gastric cancer, the level and number of lymph node metastases is useful for predicting survival, and there are several staging systems for lymph node metastasis. The aim of this study was to compare the several lymph node classifications and to clarify the most important lymph node information associated with prognosis using multivariate analysis.Methods: A total of 106 patients with histologically node-positive gastric cancer treated by radical gastrectomy and extended lymph node dissection (D2, D3) were studied. The level of lymph node metastasis was categorized simply as Level I nodes (perigastric, No.1–6), Level II nodes (intermediate, No.7–9), and Level III nodes (distant, No.10–16), irrespective of the tumor location. The Level II nodes included lymph nodes along the left gastric artery, common hepatic artery, and celiac trunk.Results: Overall 5-year survival rate was 51%. Univariate analysis showed that 5-year survival rate was significantly influenced by the level of positive nodes (P < .01), total number of positive nodes (P < .01), number of positive Level I nodes (P < .01), and number of positive Level II nodes (P < .01), in addition to the tumor location (P < .05), tumor size (P < .05), gross type (P < .01), and depth of wall invasion (P < .01). Of these, independent prognostic factors associated with 5-year survival rate were the number of positive Level II nodes (0–1 vs. 2) (62% vs. 19%, P < .01) and the depth of wall invasion (within vs. beyond muscularis) (79% vs. 43%, P < .01).Conclusions: Among several staging systems for lymph node metastases, the number of positive Level II nodes provided the most powerful prognostic information in patients with node-positive gastric cancer. When there were two or more metastases in the Level II nodes, prognosis was poor even after D2 or D3 gastrectomy.