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Purpose: Although laparoscopic distal gastrectomy has rapidly replaced open distal gastrectomy, laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) is less frequently performed owing to technical difficulties. Robotic surgery could be an appropriate minimally invasive alternative to LTG because it alleviates the technical challenges posed by laparoscopic procedures. However, few studies have compared the oncological safety of robotic total gastrectomy (RTG) with that of LTG, especially for advanced gastric cancer (AGC). Herein, we aimed to assess the oncological outcomes of RTG for AGC and compare them with those of LTG., Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 147 and 204 patients who underwent RTG and LTG for AGC, respectively, between 2007 and 2020. Long-term outcomes were compared using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW)., Results: After IPTW, the 2 groups exhibited similar clinicopathological features. The 5-year overall survival was comparable between the 2 groups (88.5% [95% confidence interval {CI}, 79.4%-93.7%] after RTG and 87.3% [95% CI, 80.1%-92.0%]) after LTG; log-rank P=0.544). The hazard ratio (HR) for death after RTG compared with that after LTG was 0.73 (95% CI, 0.40-1.33; P=0.304). The 5-year relapse-free survival was also similar between the 2 groups (75.7% [95% CI, 65.2%-83.4%] after RTG and 76.4% [95% CI, 67.9%-83.0%] after LTG; log-rank P=0.850). The HR for recurrence after RTG compared with that after LTG was 0.93 (95% CI, 0.60-1.46; P=0.753)., Conclusions: Our findings revealed that RTG and LTG for AGC had similar long-term outcomes. RTG is an oncologically safe alternative to LTG and has technical advantages., Competing Interests: H.W.J. reports receiving research grants from Medtronic and GC Pharma and is a stockholder and chief executive officer of Hutom. He provided consultancy services to Ethicon and SK Hynix (Wuxi) outside of the submitted work. The other authors have no disclosures to report., (Copyright © 2024. Korean Gastric Cancer Association.)

Backgruound: Osteoporosis and fragility fractures are crucial musculoskeletal complications in long-term survivors of gastric cancer. However, the relationship between changes in body composition after gastrectomy and bone loss has not been investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to explore whether computed tomography (CT)-derived body composition parameters are associated with bone loss after gastrectomy in patients with gastric cancer., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records and abdomen CT scans of patients who underwent gastrectomy at Yonsei University Severance Hospital between 2009 and 2018. Patients with non-metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma and preoperative and postoperative non-contrast CT scans were analyzed. Section area of skeletal muscle (SMA), visceral fat (VFA), and subcutaneous fat (SFA) were assessed using semi-automatic segmentation software. Changes in trabecular bone attenuation of L1 mid-vertebra level (L1 Hounsfield units [HU]) were measured., Results: Fifty-seven patients (mean age, 65.5±10.6; 70.2% males) were analyzed, and the median duration was 31 months. Fortyseven patients (82.5%) lost weight after gastrectomy. Baseline SMA and VFA did not differ between the bone loss and preserved groups; however, baseline SFA was significantly higher in the bone preserved group than in the bone loss group (P=0.020). In a multivariable linear regression model adjusted for confounding factors, one standard deviation higher VFA at baseline was associated with greater annualized L1 HU loss (%) (P=0.034). However, higher preoperative SFA was associated with protection against bone loss after gastrectomy (P=0.025)., Conclusion: Higher preoperative SFA exhibited a protective effect against bone loss after gastrectomy in patients with non-metastatic gastric cancer, whereas VFA exhibited a negative effect.

Background: Peritoneal recurrence is a significant cause of treatment failure after radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer. The prediction of metachronous peritoneal recurrence would have a significantly impact risk stratification and tailored treatment planning. This study aimed to externally validate the previously established PERI-Gastric 1 and 2 models to assess their generalizability in an independent population., Methods: Retrospective external validation was conducted on a cohort of 8564 patients who underwent elective gastrectomy for stage Ib-IIIc gastric cancer between 1998 and 2018 at the Yonsei Cancer Center. Discrimination was tested using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROC). Accuracy was tested by plotting observations against the predicted risk of peritoneal recurrence and analyzing the resulting calibration plots. Clinical usefulness was tested with a decision curve analysis., Results: In the validation cohort, PERI-Gastric 1 and PERI-Gastric 2 exhibited an AUROC of 0.766 (95 % C.I. 0.752-0.778) and 0.767 (95 % C.I. 0.755-0.780), a calibration-in-the-large of 0.935 and 0.700, a calibration belt with a 95 % C.I. over the bisector in the risk range of 24%-33 % and 35%-47 %. The decision curve analysis revealed a positive net benefit in the risk range of 10%-42 % and 15%-45 %, respectively., Conclusions: This study presents the external validation of the PERI-Gastric 1 and 2 scores in an Eastern population. The models demonstrated fair discrimination and satisfactory calibration for predicting the risk of peritoneal recurrence after radical gastrectomy, even in Eastern patients. PERI-Gastric 1 and 2 scores could also be applied to predict the risk of metachronous peritoneal recurrence in Eastern populations., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Woo Jin Hyung reports a relationship with SK hynix (Wuxi) that includes: consulting or advisory. Woo Jin Hyung reports a relationship with Medtronic that includes: funding grants. Woo Jin Hyung reports a relationship with GC Biopharma Corp that includes: funding grants. Woo Jin Hyung reports a relationship with Hutom that includes: employment and equity or stocks. All other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ∼ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.)

Background: Fluorescent lymphography (FL) using indocyanine green (ICG) allows for the visualization of all draining lymph nodes (LNs), thereby increasing LN retrieval. However, no studies have assessed the efficacy of FL in high body mass index (BMI) gastric cancer patients, even as LN yield decreases with increasing BMI in gastrectomy. This study aimed to investigate the influence of FL on LN retrieval in high BMI gastric cancer patients., Methods: Gastric cancer patients who underwent laparoscopic or robotic gastrectomies from 2013 to 2021 were included. Patients were classified into two groups, with FL (FL group) or without FL (non-FL group). The effect of FL on LN retrieval was assessed by BMI. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to ensure comparability between groups., Results: Retrieved LN number decreased as BMI increased regardless of FL application (P < 0.001). According to the IPTW analysis, the mean retrieved LN number was significantly higher in the FL group (48.4 ± 18.5) than in the non-FL group (39.8 ± 16.3, P < 0.001), irrespective of BMI. The FL group exhibited a significantly higher proportion of patients with 16 or more LNs (99.5%) than the non-FL group (98.1%, P < 0.001). The FL group also had a significantly higher proportion of patients with 30 or more LNs (86.6%) than the non-FL group (72.2%, P < 0.001). In both the normal and high-BMI patients, the FL group had a significantly larger percentage of patients with a higher nodal classification than the non-FL group., Conclusion: FL resulted in more LN retrieval, even in high BMI patients. FL ensures accurate staging by maintaining the appropriate retrieved LN number in high BMI gastric cancer patients., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to The International Gastric Cancer Association and The Japanese Gastric Cancer Association.)

Background: Previous studies have focused on the non-inferiority of RPG compared with conventional port gastrectomy (CPG); however, we assumed that some candidates might derive more significant benefit from RPG over CPG., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathological and perioperative parameters of 1442 patients with gastric cancer treated by gastrectomy between 2009 and 2022. The C-reactive protein level on postoperative day 3 (CRPD3) was used as a surrogate parameter for surgical trauma. Patients were grouped according to the extent of gastrectomy [subtotal gastrectomy (STG) or total gastrectomy (TG)] and lymph node dissection (D1+ or D2). The degree of surgical trauma, bowel recovery, and hospital stay between RPG and CPG was compared among those patient groups., Results: Of 1442 patients, 889, 354, 129, and 70 were grouped as STGD1+, STGD2, TGD1+, and TGD2, respectively. Compared with CPG, RPG significantly decreased CRPD3 only among patients in the STGD1+ group (CPG: n = 653, 84.49 mg/L, 95% CI 80.53-88.45 vs. RPG: n = 236, 70.01 mg/L, 95% CI 63.92-76.09, P < 0.001). In addition, the RPG method significantly shortens bowel recovery and hospital stay in the STGD1+ (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001), STGD2 (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001), and TGD1+ (P = 0.026 and P = 0.007), respectively. No difference was observed in the TGD2 group (P = 0.313 and P = 0.740)., Conclusions: The best candidates for RPG are patients who undergo STGD1+, followed by STGD2 and TG D1+, considering the reduction in CRPD3, bowel recovery, and hospital stay., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objective: The aim of this study was to audit the 22 items and assessed each item's predictive value on surgical outcomes., Background: The KLASS-02 trial revealed that the oncologic outcomes of laparoscopic distal gastrectomy are not inferior to open distal gastrectomy in patients with advanced gastric cancer. The surgeons participating in this trial were chosen based on the assessment scores from the KLASS-02-QC trial, which used 22 items for standardization of D2 lymphadenectomy and quality control., Methods: We reviewed proficiency scores (PSs) for 22 items for 20 surgeons who participated in KLASS-02. The surgeons were divided into 2 groups according to PS, and the perioperative outcomes of 924 patients enrolled in KLASS-02 were compared between groups. Each item's predictive value for perioperative outcome was then assessed using multivariable regression models., Results: Of the total 924 patients, 529 were operated on by high-score surgeons (high PS) and 395 were operated on by low-score surgeons (low-PS). High-PS group had less intraoperative blood loss, longer operation times, and fewer complications, major complications, reoperations, and shorter first flatus and hospital stay than low-PS group ( P =0.006, P <0.001, P <0.001, P <0.001, P =0.042, P =0.013, and P <0.001, respectively). Some items used in KLASS-02-QC predicted perioperative outcomes, such as intraoperative blood loss, major complications, reoperation, and hospital stay., Conclusions: Although this study only analyzed data associated with qualified surgeons, the 22 items effectively assessed the surgeons based on PS. A high score was associated with longer operation times, but better perioperative outcomes., Competing Interests: W.J.H. reported receiving grants from Medtronic and GC pharma, stocks from Hutom, and personal fees from SK Hynix (Wuxi) outside the submitted work. S.-U.H. reported receiving grants from the National R&D Program for Cancer Control and Ethicon Endo-Surgery, a Johnson & Johnson Company, during the study period. S.-H.K. reported receiving grants from Medtronic and Stryker outside the submitted work. D.J.P. reported receiving grants from Daewoong Pharmaceuticals, JW Pharmaceuticals, and Medtronic outside the submitted work. J.W.K. reported receiving grants from the DN Company Co. Ltd research fund outside the submitted work. The remaining authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Minimally invasive surgery reduces surgical trauma and the size and number of incisions. The da Vinci SP robotic surgical system was designed to overcome the technical demands of single-incision laparoscopic surgery. This study aimed to demonstrate the safety and feasibility of single-port (SP) robotic distal gastrectomy (SPRDG) for patients with gastric cancer using the da Vinci SP system (Intuitive Surgical Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, USA). This study was designed as a single-arm prospective phase I/II clinical trial of SPRDG (first posted date: 21/09/2021, NCT05051670; clinicaltrials.gov). SPRDG using the da Vinci SP system was performed on 19 patients with gastric cancer between December 2021 and October 2022. The primary outcome was the safety of SPRDG as measured by major postoperative complications. The secondary outcomes were operation time, bleeding amount, bowel motility recovery, and length of hospital stay. SPRDG was performed in all 19 patients without unexpected events, such as use of additional trocars or conversion to laparoscopic or open surgery. No major complications occurred postoperatively (0/19, 0.0%). The mean operation time was 218 min (range 164-286 min). The mean hospital stay duration was 3.2 days (range 2-4 days). This phase I/II clinical trial, performed by a single expert surgeon, demonstrated the safety and feasibility of SPRDG with the da Vinci SP system in selected patients with gastric cancer. SPRDG could be a reasonable alternative to conventional or reduced-port minimally invasive gastrectomy, as it has cosmetic advantages, early recovery, and safe discharge., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Fluorescent lymphography-guided lymphadenectomy (FL) for gastric cancer is gaining popularity. However, its impact on prognosis is not known. This study aimed to assess the prognostic impact of FL in gastric cancer patients., Materials and Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed 5678 gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy from 2013 to 2017. The survival was compared between the FLFL group and the conventional lymphadenectomy (non-FL group) using 1:1 propensity score matching after exclusion. Patients in the FL group underwent gastrectomy with systematic lymphadenectomy after endoscopic peritumoral injection of indocyanine green the day before surgery., Results: After propensity score matching, the FL and non-FL groups each had 1064 patients with similar demographic and clinicopathological characteristics. All matched variables had a standardized mean difference under 0.1. The FL group showed a significantly higher number of retrieved lymph nodes (56.2±20.1) than the non-FL group (46.2±18.2, P <0.001). The FL group also had more stage III patients ( P= 0.044) than the non-FL group. The FL group demonstrated higher overall survival ( P= 0.038) and relapse-free survival ( P= 0.036) in stage III compared with the non-FL group. However, no significant differences in overall and relapse-free survival were observed between the two groups for stages I ( P= 0.420 and P= 0.120, respectively) and II ( P= 0.200 and P= 0.280, respectively)., Conclusion: FL demonstrated a higher survival in stage III gastric cancer patients by the more accurate staging resulting from larger lymph node retrieval. Thus, given its potential to improve prognostication by enhancing staging accuracy, it is recommended as an option to consider the use of FL in clinical practice., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Splenic hilar (no.10) lymph node dissection during total gastrectomy is no longer recommended for advanced proximal gastric cancer. However, the treatment efficacy of no.10 lymph node dissection in Borrmann type 4 tumors remains unclear. We enrolled 539 patients who underwent total gastrectomy for Borrmann type 4 tumors between 2006 and 2016 in four major institutions in Korea. We compared the long-term survival of the no.10 lymph node dissection (n = 309) and no-dissection groups (n = 230) using the propensity score (inverse probability of treatment weighting). The treatment effects of no.10 lymph node dissection were estimated in the weighted sample using the Cox proportional hazards regression model with a robust sandwich-type variance estimator. After inverse probability of treatment weighting, there were 540.4 patients in the no.10 lymph node dissection group and 532.7 in the no-dissection group. The two groups showed well-balanced baseline characteristics, including tumor node metastasis stage. The 5-year survival rates in the no.10 lymph node dissection and no-dissection groups were 45.7% and 38.6%, respectively (log-rank p = 0.036, hazard ratio 0.786, 95% confidence interval 0.630-0.982). Multivariate analysis revealed that no.10 lymph node dissection was an independent favorable prognostic factor (adjusted hazard ratio 0.747, 95% confidence interval 0.593-0.940) after adjusting for other prognostic factors. Sensitivity analyses in other inverse probability of treatment weighting models and the propensity score matching model showed similar results. Patients undergoing no.10 lymph node dissection showed improved survival compared to those without. No.10 lymph node dissection is recommended during total gastrectomy for patients with Borrmann type 4 gastric cancer., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Background: The current standard operation for proximal gastric and gastroesophageal junction (P/GEJ) cancers with limited esophageal extension is total gastrectomy (TG). TG is associated with impaired appetite and weight loss due to the loss of gastric functions such as production of ghrelin and with anemia due to intrinsic factor loss and vitamin B 12 malabsorption. Theoretically, proximal gastrectomy (PG) can mitigate these problems by preserving gastric function. However, PG with direct esophagogastric reconstruction is associated with severe postoperative reflux, delayed gastric emptying, and poor quality of life (QoL). Minimally invasive PG (MIPG) with antireflux techniques has been increasingly performed by experts but is technically demanding owing to its complexity. Moreover, the actual advantages of MIPG over minimally invasive TG (MITG) with regards to postoperative QoL are unknown. Our overall objective of this study is to determine the short-term QoL benefits of MIPG. Our central hypotheses are that MIPG is safe and that patients have improved appetite after MIPG with effective antireflux techniques, which leads to an overall QoL improvement when compared with MITG., Methods: Enrollment of a total of 60 patients in this prospective survey-collection study is expected. Procedures (MITG versus MIPG, antireflux techniques for MIPG [double-tract reconstruction versus the double-flap technique]) will be chosen based on surgeon and/or patient preference. Randomization is not considered feasible because patients often have strong preferences regarding MITG and MIPG. The primary outcome is appetite level (reported on a 0-10 scale) at 3 months after surgery. With an expected 30 patients per cohort (MITG versus MIPG), this study will have 80% power to detect a one-point difference in appetite level. Patient-reported outcomes will be longitudinally collected (including questions about appetite and reflux), and specific QoL items, body weight, body mass index and ghrelin, albumin, and hemoglobin levels will be compared., Discussion: Surgeons from the US, Japan, and South Korea formed this collaboration with the agreement that the surgical approach to P/GEJ cancers is an internationally important but controversial topic that requires immediate action. At the completion of the proposed research, our expected outcome is the establishment of the benefit and safety of MIPG., Trial Registration: This trial was registered with Clinical Trials Reporting Program Registration under the registration number NCI-2022-00267 on January 11, 2022, as well as with ClinicalTrials.gov under the registration number NCT05205343 on January 11, 2022., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

To overcome the limitations of laparoscopic surgery, robotic systems have been commonly used in the era of minimally invasive surgery despite their high cost. However, the articulation of instruments can be achieved without a robotic system at lower cost using articulating laparoscopic instruments (ALIs). Between May 2021 and May 2022, perioperative outcomes following laparoscopic gastrectomy using ALIs versus robotic gastrectomy were compared. A total of 88 patients underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy using ALIs, while 96 underwent robotic gastrectomy. Baseline characteristics were similar between the groups except for a higher proportion of patients with a medical history in the ALI group (p = 0.013). Clinicopathologic and perioperative outcomes were not significantly different between the groups. However, the operation time was significantly shorter in the ALI group (p = 0.026). No deaths occurred in either group. In conclusion, laparoscopic gastrectomy using ALIs was associated with comparable perioperative surgical outcomes and a shorter operation time compared to robotic gastrectomy in this prospective cohort study., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Failure to rescue (FTR), the mortality rate among patients with complications, is gaining attention as a hospital quality indicator. However, comprehensive investigation into FTR has rarely been conducted after radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer patients. This study aimed to assess FTR after radical gastrectomy and investigate the associations between FTR and clinicopathologic factors, operative features, and complication types. From 2006 to 2021, 16,851 gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy were retrospectively analyzed. The incidence and risk factors were analyzed for complications, mortality, and FTR. Seventy-six patients had postoperative mortality among 15,984 patients after exclusion. The overall morbidity rate was 10.49% (1676/15,984 = 10.49%), and the FTR rate was 4.53% (76/1676). Risk factor analysis revealed that older age (reference: < 60; vs. 60-79, adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13-3.79, P = 0.019; vs. ≥ 80, OR 3.74, 95% CI 1.57-8.91, P = 0.003), high ASA score (vs. 1 or 2, OR 2.79, 95% CI 1.59-4.91, P < 0.001), and serosa exposure in pathologic T stage (vs. T1, OR 2.74, 95% CI 1.51-4.97, P < 0.001) were associated with FTR. Moreover, patients who underwent gastrectomy during 2016-2021 were less likely to die when complications occurred than patients who received the surgery in 2006-2010 (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.18-0.68, P = 0.002). This investigation of FTR after gastrectomy demonstrated that the risk factors for FTR were old age, high ASA score, serosa exposure, and operation period. FTR varied according to the complication types and the period, even in the same institution., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: The benefit of regular follow-up after curative resection for gastric cancer is controversial as there is no evidence that it will improve survival. This study assessed whether regular follow-up leads to improved survival in patients after surgery for gastric cancer., Methods: A secondary analysis was undertaken of patients who participated in an RCT of laparoscopic versus open distal gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer between November 2011 and April 2015. Depending on whether patients were compliant with the initial trial follow-up protocol or not, they were analysed as having had either regular or irregular follow-up. Clinicopathological characteristics, recurrence patterns, detection, treatments, and survival were compared between the groups., Results: The regular and irregular follow-up groups comprised 712 and 263 patients respectively. Disease recurrence within 36 months was more common in the regular group than in the irregular group (17.0 versus 11.4 per cent; P = 0.041). Recurrence patterns did not differ between the groups. The 3-year recurrence-free survival rate was worse in the regular than in the irregular group (81.2 versus 86.5 per cent; P = 0.031). However, the 5-year overall survival rate was comparable (84.5 versus 87.5 per cent respectively; P = 0.160). Multivariable analysis revealed that type of follow-up was not an independent factor affecting 5-year overall survival., Conclusion: Regular follow-up after radical gastrectomy was not associated with improved overall survival., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of BJS Society Ltd. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Importance: Patients undergoing proximal gastrectomy (PG) with double-tract reconstruction (DTR) have been reported to have an incidence of reflux esophagitis that is as low as that observed after total gastrectomy (TG). It is unclear whether PG has an advantage over TG for the treatment of patients with upper early gastric cancer (GC)., Objective: To evaluate the effect of laparoscopic PG with DTR (LPG-DTR) vs laparoscopic TG (LTG) on levels of hemoglobin and vitamin B12 supplementation required among patients with clinically early GC in the upper third of the stomach (upper-third early GC)., Design, Setting, and Participants: This multicenter open-label superiority randomized clinical trial was conducted at 10 institutions in Korea. A total of 138 patients with upper-third cT1N0M0 GC were enrolled between October 27, 2016, and September 9, 2018. Follow-up ended on December 3, 2020., Interventions: Patients were randomized to undergo either LPG-DTR or LTG., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary co-end points were change in hemoglobin level and cumulative amount of vitamin B12 supplementation at 2 years after LPG-DTR or LTG. The secondary end points included morbidity, postoperative reflux esophagitis, quality of life, overall survival, and disease-free survival. Quality of life outcomes were assessed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ) 30-item core questionnaire (C30) and the EORTC QLQ stomach cancer-specific questionnaire at 3 months, 12 months, and 24 months., Results: Among 138 patients (mean [SD] age, 60.0 [10.9] years; 87 men [63.0%]; all of Asian race and Korean ethnicity), 68 (mean [SD] age, 56.7 [10.4] years; 39 men [57.4%]) were randomized to receive LPG-DTR and 69 (mean [SD] age, 61.3 [11.3] years; 48 men [69.6%]) were randomized to receive LTG. The mean (SD) changes in hemoglobin levels from baseline to month 24 were -5.6% (7.4%) in the LPG-DTR group and -6.9% (8.3%) in the LTG group, for an estimated difference of -1.3% (95% CI, -4.0% to 1.4%; P = .35). The mean (SD) cumulative amount of vitamin B12 supplementation was 0.4 (1.3) mg in the LPG-DTR group and 2.5 (3.0) mg in the LTG group, for an estimated difference of 2.1 mg (95% CI, 1.3-2.9 mg; P < .001). The late complication rates in the LPG-DTR and LTG groups were 17.6% and 10.1%, respectively (P = .31). The incidence of reflux esophagitis was not different between the LPG-DTR and LTG groups (2.9% vs 2.9%; P = .99). Compared with the LTG group, the LPG-DTR group had better physical functioning scores (85.2 [15.6] vs 79.9 [19.3]; P = .03) and social functioning scores (89.5 [17.9] vs 82.4 [19.4]; P = .03) on the EORTC QLQ-C30. Two-year overall survival (98.5% vs 100%; P = .33) and disease-free survival (98.5% vs 97.1%; P = .54) did not significantly differ between the LPG-DTR vs LTG groups., Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, patients with upper-third early GC who received LPG-DTR required less vitamin B12 supplementation than those who received LTG, with no increase in complication rates and no difference in overall and disease-free survival rates. There was no difference in change in hemoglobin level between groups. In addition, the LPG-DTR group had better physical and social functioning than the LTG group. These findings suggest that LPG-DTR may be as safe as LTG and may be a function-preserving procedure for the treatment of patients with upper-third early GC., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02892643.

Background: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) application for patients with tumors beyond the expanded indication for ESD is inconclusive. This study aimed to identify the preoperative clinical features that can be curatively treated with ESD in patients with early gastric cancer (EGC) beyond the indication of ESD., Methods: From 2006 to 2016, 673 patients who underwent gastrectomy for EGC beyond the expanded indication for ESD based on preoperative assessments were retrospectively reviewed. We identified tumors curatively resected by ESD based on the postoperative pathologic findings. We also analyzed the clinical and pre-treatment features to determine the risk factors associated with curative resection of ESD., Results: 39% of the patients (263/673) who had undergone gastrectomy had tumors of endoscopic curability A or B (eCuraA/B) that could be treated by ESD alone. In multivariate analysis, tumor size ≤ 10 mm (OR 0.240; 95% CI = 0.12-0.46), no ulceration (OR 0.500; 95% CI = 0.29-0.87), differentiated histology (OR 0.599; 95% CI = 0.43-0.84), and location in the distal two-thirds of the stomach (OR 0.499; 95% CI = 0.28-0.88) in pre-treatment assessment were identified as independent predictors of eCuraA/B. Considering the risk factors, 63.6% (7/11)/61.3% (19/31) of patients with a differentiated/undifferentiated tumor size ≤ 10 mm located in distal two-third of the stomach without ulceration were deemed as eCuraA/B., Conclusions: This study suggests that patients with EGC indicated for surgery can be treated by ESD by adding tumor locations in the indication for ESD. Thus, ESD can be applied for patients with a tumor size ≤ 10 mm located in the lower/middle stomach without ulceration., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The effects of perioperative blood transfusion on the prognosis of gastric cancer patients remain controversial. This study aimed to assess the association between perioperative blood transfusion and survival outcomes., Methods: The study included 2905 patients who underwent curative gastrectomy for stage II/III gastric cancer between 2006 and 2015 and were followed until 2018. Propensity-score matching was used to adjust for differences in baseline clinicopathologic characteristics between patients with or without blood transfusion., Results: Of 2905 patients, 543 (18.7%) received a perioperative blood transfusion. Patients with blood transfusion had significantly worse overall survival and recurrence-free survival than those without blood transfusion (p < 0.001 for both). Survival outcomes did not differ according to timing of transfusion (preoperative, intraoperative, or postoperative), transfused volume (1-2 units of packed red cells vs ≥ 3 units of packed red blood cells), and volume of intraoperative blood loss (≤300 mL vs > 300 mL). After propensity-score matching adjusting for risk factors associated with blood transfusion, 498 patients were included in each group. Long-term recurrence-free survival was not significantly different between patients with or without blood transfusion in the matched analysis (p = 0.808)., Conclusions: In propensity-score matched analysis, blood transfusion was not associated with recurrence-free survival. Clinical circumstances, including demographic, pathologic, and surgical characteristics, rather than blood transfusions, appear to be the main prognostic factors for recurrence., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.)

Over the past 30 years, the prevalence of upper third gastric cancer (GC) and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer has increased. Total gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection is the standard surgical treatment for non-early (T2 or higher) upper third and GEJ cancers, but total gastrectomy often results in post-gastrectomy syndrome (5-50%), consisting of weight loss, dumping syndrome, and anemia. Proximal gastrectomy (PG) has the potential to avoid these postoperative problems by preserving stomach function. However, PG has historically been discouraged by surgeons owing to the high incidence of postoperative reflux esophagitis (20-65%), anastomotic stenosis, and decreased quality of life. In recent years, anti-reflux reconstruction techniques, such as the double flap technique and double-tract reconstruction, have been developed to be performed after PG, and evidence has emerged that these techniques not only reduce the incidence of postoperative reflux esophagitis but also decrease postoperative weight loss and prevent anemia. Prospective studies are underway to determine whether PG with anti-reflux techniques improves patient-reported quality of life. In the present work, we reviewed available evidence for the use of PG for GC and GEJ cancer, including oncologically appropriate patient selection for PG, potential functional benefits of PG over TG, and various types of reconstructions that can be performed after PG, as well as future research on the use of PG.

Importance: The long-term safety of laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for locally advanced gastric cancer (AGC) remains uncertain given the lack of 5-year follow-up results., Objective: To compare the 5-year follow-up results in patients with clinically AGC enrolled in the Korean Laparoendoscopic Gastrointestinal Surgery Study (KLASS)-02 randomized clinical trial who underwent laparoscopic or open distal gastrectomy., Design, Setting, and Participants: The KLASS-02, a multicenter randomized clinical trial, showed that laparoscopic surgery was noninferior to open surgery for patients with locally AGC. The present study assessed the 5-year follow-up results, including 5-year overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) rates and long-term complications, in patients enrolled in KLASS-02. From November 21, 2011, to April 29, 2015, patients aged 20 to 80 years diagnosed preoperatively with locally AGC were enrolled. Final follow-up was on June 15, 2021. Data were analyzed June 24 to September 9, 2021., Interventions: Patients were treated with R0 resection either by laparoscopic gastrectomy or open gastrectomy as the full analysis set of the KLASS-02 trial., Main Outcomes and Measures: Five-year OS and RFS rates, recurrence patterns, and long-term surgical complications were evaluated., Results: This study enrolled a total of 1050 patients. A total of 974 patients were treated with R0 resection; 492 (50.5%) in the laparoscopic gastrectomy group (mean [SD] age, 59.8 [11.0] years; 351 men [71.3%]) and 482 (49.5%) in the open gastrectomy group (mean [SD] age, 59.4 [11.5] years; 335 men [69.5%]). In patients who underwent laparoscopic and open distal gastrectomy, the 5-year OS (88.9% vs 88.7%) and RFS (79.5% vs 81.1%) rates did not differ significantly. The most common types of recurrence were peritoneal carcinomatosis (73 of 173 [42.1%]), hematogenous metastases (36 of 173 [20.8%]), and locoregional recurrence (23 of 173 [13.2%]), with no between-group differences in types of recurrence at each cancer stage. The correlation between 3-year RFS and 5-year OS at the individual level was highest in patients with stage III gastric cancer (ρ = 0.720). The late complication rate was significantly lower in the laparoscopic than in the open surgery group (32 of 492 [6.5%] vs 53 of 482 [11.0%]). The most common type of complication in both groups was intestinal obstruction (13 of 492 [2.6%] vs 24 of 482 [5.0%])., Conclusions and Relevance: The 5-year outcomes of the KLASS-02 trial support the 3-year results, which is the noninferiority of laparoscopic surgery compared with open gastrectomy for locally AGC. The laparoscopic approach can be recommended in patients with locally AGC to achieve the benefit of low incidence of late complications., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01456598.

Background: Fluorescent lymphography is an excellent technique for complete lymph node dissection during minimally invasive surgery for gastric cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the role of fluorescent lymphography in splenic hilar lymph node dissection during minimally invasive total gastrectomy., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 168 gastric cancer patients who underwent minimally invasive total gastrectomy with D2 + No. 10 lymph node dissection from 2013 to 2018. Fluorescent lymphography was used whenever it is possible. However, when near-infrared imaging system and endoscopic indocyanine green injection were not available, we performed surgery without fluorescent lymphography. A total of 74 patients underwent surgery with fluorescent lymphography (FL group) and 94 underwent surgery without it (non-FL group). Perioperative and long-term outcomes including the number of retrieved lymph nodes at each nodal station were compared between groups., Results: The median number of retrieved lymph nodes at the splenic hilum was larger in the FL group {2.5 [Interquartile range (IQR), 1-5]} than in the non-FL group [1 (IQR, 1-3); P = 0.012]. The negative predictive value of fluorescent lymphography for lymph node metastasis at the splenic hilum was 97.1%, although the sensitivity was 66.7%. The overall survival (FL: 96.9% vs. non-FL: 88.9%; P = 0.334) and relapse-free survival (FL: 90.5% vs. non-FL: 65.5%; P = 0.054) were higher in the FL group, although there were no statistical differences. However, among the patients without lymph node metastasis, the relapse-free survival was significantly higher in the FL group (100%) than in the non-FL group (67.1%; P = 0.017)., Conclusions: Fluorescent lymphography is an effective tool for complete lymph node dissection at the splenic hilum. Moreover, it may help select patients who do not need splenic hilar lymph node dissection during a total gastrectomy., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Minimally invasive surgery is now a standard treatment for gastric cancer. Many retrospective studies have reported that robotic gastrectomy is safe and feasible, with similar short- and long-term outcomes as laparoscopic gastrectomy. However, no studies have reported the details of surgical and survival outcomes for robotic gastrectomy. This study aimed to evaluate the surgical trends and techniques of robotic gastrectomy and analyze the surgical outcomes of 2000 consecutive patients with gastric cancer who underwent robotic gastrectomy over 14 years., Methods: Between July 2005 and January 2019, 2000 consecutive robotic gastrectomies were performed. We evaluated short- and long-term outcomes as well as surgical trends after robotic gastrectomy., Results: There were 1,560 subtotal gastrectomies (78%), 324 total gastrectomies (16.2%), 83 proximal gastrectomies (4.2%), and 33 completion total gastrectomies (1.7%). The rates of major complications and mortality were 3.1% and 0.3%, respectively. In a subgroup analysis, there were no significant differences in the rate of complications over time (P = 0.696). Five-year overall survival rates were 97.6% for stage I, 91.9% for stage II, and 69.2% for stage III, with a total recurrence rate of 5.3%. Since its adoption in 2005, the proportion of robotic gastrectomies, as well as technically demanding procedures have increased over time., Conclusions: Our 14 years' experience of 2000 robotic gastrectomies has shown the proportion, as well as the number of robotic gastrectomies, have tended to increase and trends toward to technically demanding procedures. Outcomes of robotic gastrectomy appear safe and feasible with acceptable short- and long-term outcomes., (© 2021. The International Gastric Cancer Association and The Japanese Gastric Cancer Association.)

Introduction: Patients who underwent curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer are regularly followed-up for the early detection of recurrence and postoperative symptom management. However, there is a lack of evidence with regard to proper surveillance intervals and diagnostic tools. This study aims to evaluate whether frequent surveillance tests have a survival benefit or improve the quality of life in patients who underwent curative resection for advanced gastric cancer., Methods and Analysis: The STOFOLUP trial is an investigator-initiated, parallel-assigned, multicentre randomised controlled trial involving 16 hospitals in the Republic of Korea. Patients (n=886) diagnosed with pathological stage II or III gastric adenocarcinoma will be randomised to either the 3-month or the 6-month group at a 1:1 ratio, stratified by trial site and tumour stage. Patients allocated to the 3-month group will undergo an abdominal CT scan every 3 months postoperatively and those allocated to the 6-month group will undergo CT every 6 months. The primary endpoint is 3-year overall survival and the secondary endpoints are quality of life, as assessed using KOrean QUality of life in Stomach cancer patients Study group-40, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 and the stomach cancer-specific module (STO22), and nutritional outcomes. Other survival data including data concerning 3-year disease-free survival, recurrence-free survival, gastric cancer-specific survival and postrecurrence survival will also be estimated. The first patient was enrolled on July 2021 and active patient enrolment is currently underway., Ethics and Dissemination: This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of eight of the participating hospitals (NCC 2021-0085, KBSMC2021-01-059, SMC 2021-01-140, KC21OEDE0082, 4-2021-0281, AJIRB-MED-INT-20-608, 2021-0515 and H-2102-093-1198). This study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, national or international conferences., Trial Registration Number: NCT04740346., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Details of perioperative outcomes and survival after gastric cancer surgery in prior transplant recipients have received minimal research attention., Methods: We performed an observational cohort study using the database of 20,147 gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy at a single gastric cancer center in Korea. Forty-one solid organ recipients [kidney (n = 35), liver (n = 5), or heart (n = 1)] were matched with 205 controls using propensity score matching., Results: Operation time, blood loss, and postoperative pain were similar between groups. Short-term complication rates were similar between transplantation and control groups (22.0% vs. 20.1%, P = 0.777). Transplantation group patients with stage 1 gastric cancer experienced no recurrence, while those with stage 2/3 cancer had significantly higher recurrence risk compared to the controls (P = 0.049). For patients with stage 1 cancer, the transplantation group had a significantly higher rate of non-gastric cancer-related deaths compared to the controls (19.2% vs. 1.4%, P = 0.001). For those with stage 2/3 cancer, significantly lower proportion of the transplantation group received adjuvant chemotherapy compared to the control group (26.7% vs. 80.3%, P < 0.001). The transplantation group had a higher (albeit not statistically significant) rate of gastric cancer-related deaths compared to the controls (40.0% vs. 18.0%, P = 0.087)., Conclusion: Transplant recipients and non-transplant recipients exhibited similar perioperative and short-term outcomes after gastric cancer surgery. From long-term outcome analyses, we suggest active surveillance for non-gastric cancer-related deaths in patients with early gastric cancer, as well as strict oncologic care in patients with advanced cancer, as effective strategies for transplant recipients., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.)

Background: Although patients with early gastric cancer have good prognosis, recurrence after treatment may occur. Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) in gastric cancer has long been suggested as a poor prognostic indicator. This study sought to evaluate the prognostic effect of LVI in patients with early gastric cancer., Methods: From 2005 to 2016, 6516 patients with early gastric cancer who underwent radical gastrectomy were analyzed. The patients were categorized according to LVI and lymph node (LN) status., Results: LVI was present in 853 patients (13.1%). Patients with LVI or LN metastasis had more aggressive tumor characteristics than patients without both LVI and LN metastasis. The overall and relapse-free survival in patients with LVI were significantly worse than in patients without LVI. When we compared the survival rate of patients stratified by LVI and LN status, there was a significant overall and relapse-free survival difference between patients without both LVI and LN metastasis compared with those with LVI but without LN metastasis (p < 0.001). The overall and relapse-free survival of patients with LVI but without LN metastasis were similar to those without LVI but with LN metastasis (p = 0.818). Patients with LVI or LN metastasis showed a high frequency of recurrence (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that LVI and LN status were independent risk factors for relapse-free survival of early gastric cancer patients., Conclusions: Early gastric cancer with LVI is associated with poor prognosis and frequent recurrence. When predicting the prognosis of patients with early gastric cancer, LVI should be considered., (© 2021. Society of Surgical Oncology.)

Background: Previous studies evaluating the prognostic value of computed tomography (CT)-derived body composition data have included few patients. Thus, we assessed the prevalence and prognostic value of sarcopenic obesity in a large population of gastric cancer patients using preoperative CT, as nutritional status is a predictor of long-term survival after gastric cancer surgery., Methods: Preoperative CT images were analyzed for 840 gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy between March 2009 and June 2018. Machine learning algorithms were used to automatically detect the third lumbar (L3) vertebral level and segment the body composition. Visceral fat area and skeletal muscle index at L3 were determined and used to classify patients into obesity, sarcopenia, or sarcopenic obesity groups., Results: Out of 840 patients (mean age = 60.4 years; 526 [62.6%] men), 534 (63.5%) had visceral obesity, 119 (14.2%) had sarcopenia, and 48 (5.7%) patients had sarcopenic obesity. Patients with sarcopenic obesity had a poorer prognosis than those without sarcopenia (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.325; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.698-6.508). Multivariate analysis identified sarcopenic obesity as an independent risk factor for increased mortality (HR = 2.608; 95% CI = 1.313-5.179). Other risk factors were greater extent of gastrectomy (HR = 1.928; 95% CI = 1.260-2.950), lower prognostic nutritional index (HR = 0.934; 95% CI = 0.901-0.969), higher neutrophil count (HR = 1.101; 95% CI = 1.031-1.176), lymph node metastasis (HR = 6.291; 95% CI = 3.498-11.314), and R1/2 resection (HR = 4.817; 95% CI = 1.518-9.179)., Conclusion: Body composition analysis automated by machine learning predicted long-term survival in patients with gastric cancer., (© 2021 The Authors. Journal of Surgical Oncology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Robotic surgery has been widely adopted for complex procedures to overcome technical limitations of open or laparoscopic methods. However, evidence of any subsequent benefit is lacking. This study was undertaken to compare open, laparoscopic, and robotic gastrectomy in technically demanding procedure-D2 dissection in obese patients with gastric cancer., Methods: Data collected between 2010 and 2018 on D2 gastrectomy in obese patients with gastric cancer were used to conduct retrospective analysis, comparing short- and long-term outcomes of open, laparoscopic, and robotic techniques., Results: In a total of 185 patients, there were 69 open, 62 laparoscopic, and 54 robotic gastrectomy procedures. Median ages for respective surgical groups were 66 (interquartile range [IQR]: 61-64 years), 63 (IQR: 59-63), and 59 years (IQR: 56-60 years) (p = 0.009). Early-stage gastric cancer ranked proportionately higher in the laparoscopic group (p = 0.005), but operative times were similar among groups. Estimated blood loss (p < 0.001) and drainage volumes (p = 0.001) were higher in the open group, relative to others. Although a robotic approach performed best in overall compliance and in mean number of retrieved lymph node, observed rates of early or late complications did not differ by technique. The open group experienced significantly poorer overall (p = 0.039) and relapse-free (p < 0.001) survival compared with the laparoscopic or robotic group. Robotic surgery emerged from multivariable Cox regression as a protective factor for relapse-free survival (HR = 0.314, 95% CI 0.116-0.851)., Conclusions: In obese patients with gastric cancer, robotic gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy proved comparable to open or laparoscopic technique short-term, yielding better long-term outcomes., (© 2021. Society of Surgical Oncology.)

Introduction: Leakage is a serious and potentially fatal complication of gastrectomy for gastric cancer. However, comprehensive reports regarding leakage after gastrectomy remain limited. We aimed to evaluate the incidence and treatment outcomes of leakage after gastrectomy for cancer., Methods: We reviewed the prospectively collected data of 14,075 Patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer between 2005 and 2017. Outcomes included incidence, risk factors of leakage, and leakage treatment outcomes., Results: The median day of leakage detection was postoperative day 7 (range 1-29days). The overall leakage incidence was 1.51% (213/14,075), and the most frequent location was the oesophagojejunostomy (2.07%). Leakage after total gastrectomy was more frequent with minimally invasive surgery (open:1.64%, laparoscopic:3.56%, robotic:5.83%; P < 0.001). Leakage incidence was higher in the surgeon's initial 100 cases than in later cases (2.4 vs. 1.3%; P < 0.001), especially with minimally invasive surgery. Early leakage (within 4 days of surgery) occurred more often after minimally invasive surgery (open:12.7%, laparoscopic:35.4%, robotic:29.0%; P = 0.006). The success rate for initial treatment of leakage was 70.4% (150/213). Surgery after initial treatment failure demonstrated a higher success rate for early leakage than for late leakage (80.0 vs. 22.2%). Among 213 patients who experienced leakage, fifteen patients (7.0%) died, and leakage-related mortality accounted for 38.5% (15/39) of all surgery-related mortality after gastrectomy., Conclusions: Leakage after gastric cancer surgery is associated with high mortality. Improved surgeon experience using minimally invasive techniques is required to reduce the risk of leakage. Surgery is an effective treatment for early leakage, although further studies are needed to establish the most appropriate treatment strategies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Dr. WJ Hyung reports receiving research grants from Medtronic, and is the chief strategic officer and a stockholder of Hutom. Dr. Hyung has also provided consultancy services to Ethicon and Verb Surgical, which are unrelated to the submitted work. All other authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.)

Background: Total omentectomy has conventionally been performed and has been regarded as standard procedure in radical gastrectomy for cancer. However, omentum preservation is the preferred procedure during minimally invasive surgery, without sufficient evidence of oncological safety, especially for T3-T4 gastric cancer., Method: A total of 3,510 patients who underwent radical gastrectomy for T3-T4 gastric cancer between January 2003 and December 2015 were reviewed, retrospectively. After propensity score matching, 225 patients in the omentum preservation group were compared with 225 patients in the total omentectomy group. The primary outcome was 5-year overall survival., Results: The omentum preservation group showed significantly shorter operation time (P = .001) and less blood loss (P = .004) than the total omentectomy group. Shorter operation time was also observed with both open and minimally invasive approaches (P < .001 and P = .007, respectively). The 5-year overall survival rates were 75.4% for the omentum preservation group and 72.6% for the total omentectomy group (log-rank P = .06; hazard ratio 0.7 [95% confidence interval, 0.48-1.01]). The 5-year relapse-free survival was higher in the omentum preservation group (73.8%) than in the total omentectomy group (66.1%), without statistical significance (log-rank P = .09; hazard ratio 0.74 [95% confidence interval, 0.52-1.06])., Conclusion: Regardless of the surgical approach, omentum preservation provided comparable oncologic outcomes with better surgical outcomes, suggesting that this could be an acceptable alternative to total omentectomy for T3-T4 gastric cancer. These findings warrant further investigation in randomized clinical trials., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Few studies have presented evidence pertaining to the adequate minimum number of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) cycles required to achieve an oncologic benefit for gastric cancer., Methods: From January 2012 to December 2013, data from patients who underwent curative radical gastrectomy and consequently received AC for pathologic stage 2 or 3 gastric cancer at 27 institutions in South Korea were analyzed., Results: The study enrolled 925 patients, 661 patients (71.5%) who completed 8 cycles of AC and 264 patients (28.5%) who did not. Compared with the mean disease-free survival (DFS) of the patients who completed 8 AC cycles (69.3 months), the mean DFS of patients who completed 6 AC cycles (72.4 months; p = 0.531) and those who completed 7 AC cycles (63.7 months; p = 0.184) did not differ significantly. However, the mean DFS of the patients who completed 5 AC cycles (48.2 months; p = 0.016) and those who completed 1-4 AC cycles (62.9 months; p = 0.036) was significantly lower than the DFS of those who completed 8 AC cycles. In the multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis, the mean DFS was significantly affected by advanced stage, large tumor size, positive vascular invasion, and number of completed AC cycles (1-5 cycles: hazard ratio 1.45; 95% confidence interval 1.01-2.08; p = 0.041)., Conclusion: The current multicenter observational cohort study showed that the mean DFS for 6 or 7 AC cycles was similar to that for 8 AC cycles as an adjuvant treatment for gastric cancer.

Purpose: Patients who have undergone gastrectomy have unique symptoms that are not appropriately assessed using currently available tools. This study developed and validated a symptom-focused quality of life (QoL) questionnaire for patients who have received gastrectomy for gastric cancer., Materials and Methods: Based on a literature review, patient interviews, and expert consultation by the KOrean QUality of life in Stomach cancer patients Study group (KOQUSS), the initial item pool was developed. Two large-scale developmental studies were then sequentially conducted for exploratory factor analyses for content validity and item reduction. The final item pool was validated in a separate cohort of patients and assessed for internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity, and clinical validity., Results: The initial questionnaire consisted of 46-items in 12 domains. Data from 465 patients at 11 institutions, followed by 499 patients at 13 institutions, were used to conduct item reduction and exploratory factor analyses. The final questionnaire (KOQUSS-40) comprised 40 items within 11 domains. Validation of KOQUSS-40 was conducted on 413 patients from 12 hospitals. KOQUSS-40 was found to have good model fit. The mean summary score of the KOQUSS-40 was correlated with the EORTC QLQ-C30 and STO22 (correlation coefficients, 0.821 and 0.778, respectively). The KOQUSS-40 score was also correlated with clinical factors, and had acceptable internal consistency (> 0.7). Test-retest reliability was greater than 0.8., Conclusion: The KOQUSS-40 can be used to assess QoL of gastric cancer patients after gastrectomy and allows for a robust comparison of surgical techniques in clinical trials.

Background: An aberrant left hepatic artery is frequently encountered during upper gastrointestinal surgery, and researchers have yet to propose optimal strategies with which to address this arterial variation. The objective of this study was to determine whether the areas perfused by an aberrant left hepatic artery can be visualized in real-time using near-infrared fluorescence imaging with indocyanine green., Methods: Patients with gastric adenocarcinoma who underwent minimally invasive radical gastrectomy from May 2018 to August 2019 were enrolled and retrospectively analyzed at a single-center. Patients with an aberrant left hepatic artery and normal preoperative liver function were examined. After the clamping of an aberrant left hepatic artery, indocyanine green was administered via a peripheral intravenous route during surgery. Fluorescence at the liver was visualized under near-infrared fluorescence imaging., Results: In 31 patients with aberrant left hepatic arteries, near-infrared fluorescence imaging was used without adverse events associated with indocyanine green. Six (19%) patients were reported to have an aberrant left hepatic artery upon preoperative CT imaging, while all other instances were detected during surgery. Fluorescence excitation on the liver was, on average, visible after 43 s (range, 25-65). Fluorescence across the entire surface of the liver was noted in 20 (65%) patients in whom the aberrant left hepatic artery could be ligated. Aberrant left hepatic arteries were safely preserved in 10 (32%) patients who showed areas of no or partial fluorescence excitation. Guided by near-infrared fluorescence imaging, ligation of aberrant left hepatic arteries elicited no significant changes in postoperative liver function., Conclusion: Near-infrared fluorescence imaging facilitates the identification of aberrant left hepatic arterial territories, guiding decisions on the preservation or ligation of this arterial variation.

Background: Laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer has been widely accepted, but laparoscopic total gastrectomy has still not gained popularity because of technical difficulty and unsolved safety issue. We conducted a single-arm multicenter phase II clinical trial to evaluate the safety and the feasibility of laparoscopic total gastrectomy for clinical stage I proximal gastric cancer in terms of postoperative morbidity and mortality in Korea. The secondary endpoint of this trial was comparison of surgical outcomes among the groups that received different methods of esophagojejunostomy (EJ)., Methods: The 160 patients of the full analysis set group were divided into three groups according to the method of EJ, the extracorporeal circular stapling group (EC; n = 45), the intracorporeal circular stapling group (IC; n = 64), and the intracorporeal linear stapling group (IL; n = 51). The clinicopathologic characteristics and the surgical outcomes were compared among these three groups., Results: There were no significant differences in the early complication rates among the three groups (26.7% vs. 18.8% vs. 17.6%, EC vs. IC vs. IL; p = 0.516). The length of mini-laparotomy incision was significantly longer in the EC group than in the IC or IL group. The anastomosis time was significantly shorter in the EC group than in the IL group. The time to first flatus was significantly shorter in the IL group than in the EC group. The long-term complication rate was not significantly different among the three groups (4.4% vs. 12.7% vs. 7.8%; EC vs. IC vs. IL; p = 0.359), however, the long-term incidence of EJ stenosis in IC group (10.9%) was significantly higher than in EC (0%) and IL (2.0%) groups (p = 0.020)., Conclusions: The extracorporeal circular stapling and the intracorporeal linear stapling were safe and feasible in laparoscopic total gastrectomy, however, intracorporeal circular stapling increased EJ stenosis.

Background: Indocyanine green fluorescent lymphography helps visualize the lymphatic drainage pattern in gastric cancer; however, it is unknown whether fluorescent lymphography visualizes all metastatic lymph nodes. This study aimed to evaluate the sensitivity of fluorescent lymphography to detect metastatic lymph node stations and lymph nodes and the risk of false-negative findings., Methods: Patients with clinical T1-4a gastric cancer were included. Indocyanine green was peritumorally injected the day prior to surgery by endoscopy. Gastrectomy with systematic D1+ or D2 lymphadenectomy was performed. Stations and lymph nodes were retrieved at the back-table using near-infrared imaging and classified as "fluorescent" or "non-fluorescent" and later matched with histopathological findings., Results: Among 592 patients who underwent minimally invasive gastrectomy from September 2013 until December 2016, lymph node metastases were present in 150. The sensitivity of fluorescent lymphography in detecting all metastatic lymph node stations was 95.3% (143/150 patients), with a false-negative rate of 4.7% (7/150 patients) and the sensitivity in detecting all metastatic lymph nodes was 81.3% (122/150 patients). The negative predictive value was 99.3% for non-fluorescent stations and 99.2% for non-fluorescent LNs. For detecting all metastatic LN stations, subgroup analysis revealed 100% sensitivity for pT1a, 96.8% for pT1b, 100% for pT2, 91.3% for pT3, and 93.6% for pT4a tumors., Conclusions: Fluorescent lymphography-guided lymphadenectomy can be a useful method for radical lymphadenectomy by facilitating the complete dissection of all potentially positive LN stations. Fluorescent lymphography-guided lymphadenectomy appears to be a reasonable alternative to conventional systematic lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer.

Purpose: It is unclear whether laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for locally advanced gastric cancer is oncologically equivalent to open distal gastrectomy. The noninferiority of laparoscopic subtotal gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy for locally advanced gastric cancer compared with open surgery in terms of 3-year relapse-free survival rate was evaluated., Patients and Methods: A phase III, open-label, randomized controlled trial was conducted for patients with histologically proven locally advanced gastric adenocarcinoma suitable for distal subtotal gastrectomy. The primary end point was the 3-year relapse-free survival rate; the upper limit of the hazard ratio (HR) for noninferiority was 1.43 between the laparoscopic and open distal gastrectomy groups., Results: From November 2011 to April 2015, 1,050 patients were randomly assigned to laparoscopy (n = 524) or open surgery (n = 526). After exclusions, 492 patients underwent laparoscopic surgery and 482 underwent open surgery and were included in the analysis. The laparoscopy group, compared with the open surgery group, suffered fewer early complications (15.7% v 23.4%, respectively; P = .0027) and late complications (4.7% v 9.5%, respectively; P = .0038), particularly intestinal obstruction (2.0% v 4.4%, respectively; P = .0447). The 3-year relapse-free survival rate was 80.3% (95% CI, 76.0% to 85.0%) for the laparoscopy group and 81.3% (95% CI, 77.0% to 85.0%; log-rank P = .726) for the open group. Cox regression analysis after stratification by the surgeon revealed an HR of 1.035 (95% CI, 0.762 to 1.406; log-rank P = .827; P for noninferiority = .039). When stratified by pathologic stage, the HR was 1.020 (95% CI, 0.751 to 1.385; log-rank P = .900; P for noninferiority = .030)., Conclusion: Laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy was comparable to open surgery in terms of relapse-free survival for patients with locally advanced gastric cancer. Laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy could be a potential standard treatment option for locally advanced gastric cancer.

By overcoming technical difficulties with limited access faced when performing reduced-port surgery for gastric cancer, reduced-port totally robotic gastrectomy (RPRDG) could be a safe alternative to conventional minimally invasive gastrectomy. An initial 100 consecutive cases of RPRDG for gastric cancer were performed from February 2016 to September 2018. Short-term outcomes for RPRDG with those for 261 conventional laparoscopic (CLDG) and for 241 robotic procedures (CRDG) over the same period were compared. Learning curve analysis for RPRDG was conducted to determine whether this procedure could be readily performed despite fewer access. During the first 100 cases of RPRDG, no surgeries were converted to open or laparoscopic surgery, and no additional ports were required. RPRDG showed longer operation time than CLDG (188.4 min vs. 166.2 min, p < 0.001) and similar operation time with CRDG (183.1 min, p = 0.315). The blood loss was 35.4 ml for RPRDG, 85.2 ml for CLDG (p < 0.001), and 41.2 ml for CRDG (p = 0.33). The numbers of retrieved lymph nodes were 50.5 for RPRDG, 43.9 for CLDG (p = 0.003), and 55.0 for CRDG (p = 0.055). Postoperative maximum C-reactive protein levels were 96.8 mg/L for RPRDG, 87.8 mg/L for CLDG (p = 0.454), and 81.9 mg/L for CRDG (p = 0.027). Learning curve analysis indicated that the overall operation time of RPRDG stabilized at 180 min after 21 cases. The incidence of major postoperative complications did not differ among groups. RPRDG for gastric cancer is a feasible and safe alternative to conventional minimally invasive surgery. Notwithstanding, this procedure failed to reduce postoperative inflammatory responses.

Background: Laparoscopic total gastrectomy for gastric cancer is feasible but less commonly performed compared to laparoscopic distal gastrectomy due to technical difficulties such as reconstruction. There is no standard esophagojejunal anastomosis technique in laparoscopic total gastrectomy due to a lack of evidence., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 213 patients with gastric cancer who underwent laparoscopic total gastrectomy from October 2012 to December 2016. Of these, 109 and 104 patients underwent esophagojejunostomy with linear and circular stapling, respectively. We compared short-term postoperative outcomes, including surgical complications and anastomosis costs between both groups., Results: The mean operation time in the linear stapler group was longer than the circular stapler group (Linear stapler, 235.3 ± 57.9 vs. Circular stapler, 217.1 ± 55.8 min; P = 0.021); however, D2 lymph node dissection was performed more in the linear stapler group (Linear stapler, 36.7% vs. Circular stapler, 23.1%; P = 0.030). There were two anastomosis leakages in each group (Linear stapler, 1.8% vs. Circular stapler, 1.9%; P > 0.999). Anastomosis stenosis only occurred in the circular stapler group (Linear stapler, 0% vs. Circular stapler, 7.7%; P = 0.003). Although the linear stapling technique used more stapler cartridges (Linear stapler, 7.6 ± 1.1 vs. Circular stapler, 4.8 ± 0.9; P < 0.001), costs related to anastomosis were lower in the linear stapler group (Linear stapler, 1,904,679 ± 342,116 vs. Circular stapler, 2,246,150 ± 427,136KRW; P < 0.001)., Conclusions: Esophagojejunostomy with the linear stapling technique reduces anastomosis stenosis in laparoscopic total gastrectomy. It can be recommended as a safe and more cost-effective method for esophagojejunal anastomosis.

Introduction: Preoperative body weight and nutritional status are related to prognosis in patients with gastric cancer; however, the prognostic impact of postoperative in these variables is unclear. We aimed to investigate the association of preoperative/postoperative body mass index (BMI) and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) with prognosis in patients with gastric cancer., Materials and Methods: We retrospectively 1868 patients with stage II/III gastric cancer treated with gastrectomy between January 2006 and December 2010. We divided the populations into 3 groups according to BMI; underweight, normal, and overweight. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to BMI (underweight, normal-weight, overweight). PNI was classified into low and high (cutoff value; 49.7). The association of preoperative BMI/PNI and their changes (6 months postoperatively) with clinicopathologic characteristics were evaluated., Results: Preoperative underweight and low PNI were related to poor prognosis (log-rank p < 0.001 for both). There was a positive correlation between preoperative BMI and PNI (mean preoperative PNI: 51.13 [underweight], 53.37 [normal-weight], and 55.16 [overweight]; p < 0.001). Preoperative BMI and PNI were independent prognostic factors for disease-free survival along with age and TNM stage (p < 0.001 for both). BMI changes from normal-weight to underweight and from overweight to normal/underweight were related to poor prognosis (log-rank p = 0.021 and p = 0.013, respectively). PNI changes were related to prognosis in both the preoperative low and high PNI groups (p < 0.001 and p = 0.019, respectively)., Conclusion: Preoperative BMI and PNI and their postoperative changes are related to prognosis in patients with stage II/III gastric cancer. Careful nutritional intervention after gastrectomy can improve prognosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.)

Background: Completion total gastrectomy with radical lymphadenectomy for remnant gastric cancer is a technically demanding procedure. No previous studies have compared laparoscopic to robotic-assisted completion gastrectomy, whereas a few small case series have reported benefits of minimally invasive surgery over open surgery. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness and feasibility of robotic-assisted compared with laparoscopic completion gastrectomy for the treatment of remnant gastric cancer., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed data from 55 patients who underwent minimally invasive completion gastrectomy for remnant gastric cancer at the Severance Hospital of Yonsei University Health System from April 2005 to July 2017. Of the 55 patients, 30 patients underwent laparoscopic and 25 underwent robotic-assisted completion total gastrectomy. We compared the patients' demographics, operative outcomes, and postoperative outcomes., Results: Operation time was longer in the robotic-assisted surgery group (225 vs 292 min, P < 0.001), but both groups had similar estimated blood loss. The laparoscopic surgery group had a 13.3% (four patients) rate of conversion to open surgery because of severe adhesions, whereas no patients in the robotic group underwent conversion to laparoscopic or open surgery (P = 0.058). Mean hospital stay, postoperative complications, and recovery were similar in both groups. Pathology results, including the number of retrieved lymph nodes, did not differ between groups., Conclusion: Laparoscopic and robotic approaches are both feasible and safe for remnant gastric cancer, with comparable short-term outcomes. However, the robotic approach demonstrated a lower conversion rate than laparoscopy, although the statistical difference was marginal.

This study was aimed to compare the surgical outcomes between conventional laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (CLDG) and integrated robotic distal gastrectomy (IRDG) which used both Single-Site platform and fluorescence image-guided surgery technique simultaneously. Retrospective data of 56 patients who underwent IRDG and 152 patients who underwent CLDG were analyzed. Propensity score matching analysis was performed to control selection bias using age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, and body mass index. Fifty-one patients were selected for each group. Surgical success was defined as the absence of open conversion, readmission, major complications, positive resection margin, and inadequate lymph node retrieval (<16). Patients characteristics and surgical outcomes of IRDG group were comparable to those of CLDG group, except longer operation time (159.5 vs. 131.7 min; P < 0.001), less blood loss (30.7 vs. 73.3 mL; P = 0.004), higher number of retrieved lymph nodes (LNs) (50.4 vs. 41.9 LNs; P = 0.025), and lower readmission rate (2.0 vs. 15.7%; P = 0.031). Surgical success rate was higher in IRDG group compared to CLDG group (98.0 vs. 82.4%; P = 0.008). In conclusion, this study found that IRDG provides the benefits of higher number of retrieved LNs, less blood loss, and lower readmission rate compared with CLDG in patients with early gastric cancer.

Patients with early gastric cancer (EGC) who undergo non-curative endoscopic resection (ER) require additional surgery. The aim of the study was to validate surgical and oncological outcomes according to the timing of additional surgery after non-curative endoscopic resection. We retrospectively analyzed long-term follow-up data on the 302 patients enrolled between January 2007 and December 2014. We validated our earlier suggestion that the optimal time interval from non-curative ER to additional surgery was 29 days. All patients were divided into two groups by reference to time intervals from ER to additional surgery of ≤29days (n = 133; group A) and >29 days (n = 169; group B). The median follow-up duration was 41.98 ± 21.23 months. As in our previous study, group B exhibited better surgical outcomes. A total of 10 patients developed locoregional or distant recurrences during the follow-up period, but no significant difference was evident between the two groups. Interestingly, the survival rate was better in group B. Group B (>29 days) exhibited better surgical and oncological outcomes. Thus, additional gastrectomy after non-curative ER should be delayed for 1 month to ensure optimal surgical and oncological outcomes.

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the short-term outcomes of KLASS-02-RCT, a multicenter randomized controlled trial comparing laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG) with D2 lymphadenectomy with open distal gastrectomy (ODG)., Summary Background Data: Although several benefits of laparoscopic gastric cancer surgery have been reported, strong evidence is still limited, especially in locally advanced gastric cancer which requires extensive lymph node dissection., Methods: Enrollment criteria included histologically confirmed cT2-4a and N0-1 gastric adenocarcinoma. Thirty-day morbidity, 90-day mortality, postoperative pain, and recovery were compared between LDG and ODG groups., Results: A total of 1050 patients were randomly assigned to LDG (n = 526) or ODG group (n = 524) between November 2011 and April 2015. After excluding patients who received bypass or no surgery, 1011 patients were analyzed as actual treatment group. Mean number of totally retrieved lymph nodes was similar in both groups (LDG = 46.6 vs ODG = 47.4, P = 0.451). Early morbidity rate was significantly lower after LDG (16.6%) than after ODG (24.1%; P = 0.003). Postoperative analgesics use and patients' reported pain score were significantly lower after LDG. First day of flatus was earlier after LDG (3.5 vs 3.7 d, P = 0.025) and postoperative hospital stay was shorter in LDG group (8.1 vs 9.3 d, P = 0.005). Ninety days' mortality rate was similar in both groups (LDG = 0.4% vs ODG = 0.6%, P = 0.682)., Conclusions: Laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy for locally advanced gastric cancer shows benefits in terms of lower complication rate, faster recovery, and less pain compared with open surgery.

Background and Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of preoperative chemotherapy (CTx) followed by chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for high-risk gastric cancer (GC)., Methods and Materials: The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) Borrmann type 4; (2) large Borrmann type 3 (≥8 cm); (3) single bulky (≥3 cm × 1) or multiple lymph nodes (≥1.5 cm × 3). Patients received two 21-day courses of induction CTx of TS-1 (35 mg/m 2 , p.o, twice daily on days 1-14), docetaxel (30 mg/m 2 , i.v., days 1 and 8), and cisplatin (30 mg/m 2 , i.v., days 1 and 8) followed by CCRT (two courses of TS-1 and cisplatin in combination with 45 Gy radiation)., Results: Forty-two patients were enrolled between March 2014 and February 2016, and 39 of these completed sequential CTx and CCRT. Among the 33 patients who underwent R0 resection, the pathologic response rate was 39.4% [no residual carcinoma (n = 5, 15.2%), with 1-10% residual carcinoma (n = 8, 24.2%)]. Overall, 4 patients (12.1%) were pathologic stage 0, 7 (21.2%) were stage I, 10 (30.3%) were stage II, and 12 (36.4%) were stage III. The overall survival rate at 3 years was 77.9% for stages 0 and I, 66.8% for stages II-III, and 33.3% for unresectable cases (P = 0.001). Toxicity was mild to moderate with grade 4 neutropenia (n = 1) and neutropenic fever (n = 1) as the most prominent side-effects., Conclusions: Sequential CTx and CCRT prior to surgery are feasible and effective for high-risk GC., Trial Registration Number: NCT02495493., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The clinical relevance and general applicability of the 8th American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM gastric cancer staging system vs the 7th version have not been examined using datasets from both the East and West., Methods: Patients (n = 29 984) treated for gastric adenocarcinoma at two high-volume centers (Severance Hospital [SH] and Gangnam Severance Hospital [GSH]) in Korea and data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were retrospectively analyzed. Survival curves, the performance of tumor staging, and the homogeneity of modified subgroups were compared., Results: Minute changes were noted in the stage IIB subgroup; most changes were noted in stage III. Applying the 8th staging system facilitated better prediction of survival than applying the 7th version for SH data according to the log-rank test, C-index, and AIC (8444.5 vs 9263.8, 0.796 vs 0.798, and 104152 vs 103909, respectively). Its performance was also superior for GSH and SEER data. In a subgroup analysis of stages IIB to IIIC in SH, GSH, and SEER data, the 8th staging system showed similar or more homogeneous survival for each sub-classification than the 7th version., Conclusion: Compared with the 7th gastric cancer staging system, the newer version more accurately predicted prognosis and stratified subgroups more homogeneously., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Microsatellite instability (MSI)-high (MSI-H) colorectal cancer is known to be associated with increased tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), elevated host systemic immune response, and a favorable prognosis. In gastric cancer, however, MSI status has rarely been evaluated in the context of TILs and systemic immune response., Materials and Methods: We evaluated data for 345 patients with gastric cancer who underwent gastrectomy with MSI typing. The numbers of TILs were counted after immunohistochemical staining with anti-CD3, CD4, CD8, forkhead box P3 (Foxp3), and granzyme B to quantify the subsets of TILs. To evaluate the systemic immune response, the differential white blood cell count and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) were obtained., Results: Of the 345 patients, 57 demonstrated MSI-H tumors and 288 demonstrated non-MSI-H tumors. MSI-H tumors carried significantly higher densities of CD8+ T cells, Foxp3+ T cells, and granzyme B+ T cells and a higher ratio of Foxp3/CD4 and granzyme B/CD8. The prognostic impact of TILs differed between patients with MSI-H tumors and those with non-MSI-H tumors. The TIL subsets were not found to be significant prognostic factors for recurrence-free survival (RFS) or overall survival (OS) in the MSI-H tumor group. In the non-MSI-H tumor group, multivariate analysis showed that stage, PNI, and CD4+ T cells were independent prognostic factors for RFS, and stage, PNI, and the Foxp3/CD4 ratio were independent prognostic factors for OS., Conclusions: The association between systemic/local immune response and prognosis differed according to MSI status. Different tumor characteristics and prognoses according to MSI status could be associated with the immunogenicity caused by microsatellite instability and subsequent host immune response., Implications for Practice: This study demonstrates that the density of each subset of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) differed between microsatellite instability (MSI)-high and non-MSI-high tumors. Moreover, the prognostic effect of the preoperative systemic immune response status and TILs differed between the MSI-high (MSI-H) and non-MSI-H tumor groups. The present study may help to identify the mechanisms of cancer progression and develop treatment strategies for MSI-high gastric cancer., Competing Interests: Disclosures of potential conflicts of interest may be found at the end of this article., (© AlphaMed Press 2019.)

Surgical site infection (SSI) is a well-known complication in older adults. However, there have been no studies on SSI after gastrectomy in older adults. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of SSIs after gastrectomy in older adults.We performed a retrospective cohort study of older adults, aged 65 years or older, who underwent gastrectomy between January 2015 and December 2015 at the Severance Hospital in Seoul, Korea. The incidence and outcomes of SSIs after gastrectomy were evaluated, and the risk factors for SSI were identified using multivariate analyses.We identified 353 older adults who underwent gastrectomy. Of these, 25 patients (7.1%) developed an SSI. Multivariate analysis indicated that open surgery (odds ratio, 2.71; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-6.51; P = .03) and a longer operation time (odds ratio, 1.01; 95% confidence interval, 1.00-1.01; P = .04) were independent risk factors for SSI after gastrectomy. In the SSI group, the incidence of postoperative fever (84.0% vs 51.8%; P < .001), length of postoperative hospital stay (13 days vs 6 days; P < .001), and re-admission rates within 30 days postoperatively (32.0% vs 3.4%; P < .001) were significantly higher than those in the non-SSI group.The risk factors for SSI in older adults after gastrectomy were open surgery and a longer operation time. When an SSI occurred, the postoperative hospital stay was prolonged and the chances of having a postoperative fever and being re-admitted within 30 days increased.

Background: Robotic system may have potential advantages to facilitate the technically challenging splenic hilar lymphadenectomy during gastrectomy for gastric cancer. However, robotic spleen-preserving splenic hilar lymphadenectomy is performed infrequently not only because of the limited availability of the robot but also because of its technical difficulty. In this study, we describe our technique of performing robotic spleen-preserving splenic hilar lymphadenectomy in detail to facilitate wider application and present operative outcomes and the follow-up results of the procedure., Methods: From 2005 to 2015, 93 patients underwent robotic total gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy. One patient with obvious lymph node (LN) metastasis received splenectomy and was excluded from the analysis. Intraoperative complications, operation and console time, estimated blood loss, postoperative morbidity and mortality, the number of harvested LNs in total and at the splenic hilum, and 5-year overall survival were analyzed, retrospectively., Results: Among the 92 patients, robotic spleen-preserving splenic hilar lymphadenectomy was successfully performed in 91 patients except one who experienced intraoperative splenic artery injury which demanded splenectomy to be performed simultaneously. The overall mean operation time and console time were 287.2 ± 66.0 and 180.2 ± 47.2 min, respectively. Mean estimated blood loss was 141.1 ± 227.0 ml. The mortality was 1.1% (1/92). The overall postoperative morbidity rate was 16.3% (15/92). There was no case of pancreatic fistula, whole splenic infarction, or the delayed aneurysm of splenic artery. The mean numbers of harvested LNs in total and at the splenic hilum were 50.8 ± 18.1 and 1.9 ± 2.6. The 5-year overall survival was 86.3% and 5-year recurrence-free survival was 87.4%., Conclusion: This study suggests that robotic application for spleen-preserving splenic hilar lymphadenectomy could be a feasible and safe method.

Background: Proximal gastrectomy offers theoretical benefits over total gastrectomy in terms of hematologic and nutritional outcomes. However, little evidence confirming these benefits has been reported. The aim of this study was to assess the hematologic and nutritional outcomes of proximal gastrectomy with double-tract reconstruction in comparison to those of total gastrectomy., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 80 patients with stage I gastric cancer who underwent proximal gastrectomy with double-tract reconstruction (n = 38) or total gastrectomy (n = 42) from September 2014 to December 2015. We compared hematologic (including hemoglobin, ferritin, vitamin B 12 , etc.) and nutritional outcomes [including body mass index (BMI), serum total protein, albumin, total cholesterol, and total lymphocyte count] between the two groups., Results: We found no significant differences in changes in hemoglobin (P = 0.250) or cumulative incidence of iron deficiency anemia (P = 0.971) during a median follow-up period of 24 months (range 18-30 months) after surgery. Cumulative incidence of vitamin B 12 deficiency also did not differ significantly between the proximal and total gastrectomy groups (P = 0.087). BMI changes from baseline were not significantly different between the two groups (P = 0.591). Likewise, there were no statistically significant differences in nutritional outcomes., Conclusions: Proximal gastrectomy with double-tract reconstruction exhibited similar outcomes in terms of hematologic and nutritional features in comparison to total gastrectomy.

Background: Recently, a novel model predicting 5-year survival after gastrectomy was developed, the Yonsei Gastric Cancer Prognosis Prediction Model, to overcome limitations of the tumor-node-metastases (TNM) staging system. This study aimed to validate this model in a European cohort., Methods: All patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer were selected from the Netherlands Cancer Registry (2005-2015). Patients with 30-day mortality, co-existing cancer, neoadjuvant therapy, or missing data were excluded. The prediction model included gender, age, resection type, pT-stage, pM-stage, number of retrieved lymph nodes, number of metastatic lymph nodes, and tumor histology. The model was validated and compared to the 7th TNM staging system using calibration plots and the concordance index (c-statistic with 95% confidence interval (CI))., Results: From the 5748 patients who underwent gastrectomy, 2253 were included in this study. Mean age was 72.1 years, most patients had advanced gastric cancer (88%), and in 1102 patients (49%) no proper TNM staging could be performed since <16 lymph nodes were retrieved. Median overall survival was 24.6 months, and the 5-year overall survival was 30%, respectively. Model calibration was accurate in predicting 5-year overall survival, and the degree of discrimination was high (c-statistic = 0.807, 95% CI (0.787-0.826)). The model was superior to the TNM staging system in patients who could be properly staged: c-statistic = 0.861, 95% CI (0.838-0.885) vs. 0.711, 95% CI (0.692-0.729), p < 0.0001., Conclusion: The Yonsei Gastric Cancer Prognosis Prediction Model was superior over the TNM staging system in predicting prognosis after gastrectomy in a European cohort, although it is not applicable to patients treated by neoadjuvant therapy., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Identification of biomarkers to predict recurrence risk is essential to improve adjuvant treatment strategies in stage II/III gastric cancer patients. This study evaluated biomarkers for predicting survival after surgical resection., Materials and Methods: This post-hoc analysis evaluated patients from the CLASSIC trial who underwent D2 gastrectomy with or without adjuvant chemotherapy (capecitabine plus oxaliplatin) at the Yonsei Cancer Center. Tumor expressions of thymidylate synthase (TS), excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1), and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) were evaluated by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining to determine their predictive values., Results: Among 139 patients, IHC analysis revealed high tumor expression of TS (n=22, 15.8%), ERCC1 (n=23, 16.5%), and PD-L1 (n=42, 30.2%) in the subset of patients. Among all patients, high TS expression tended to predict poor disease-free survival (DFS; hazard ratio [HR], 1.80; p=0.053), whereas PD-L1 positivity was associated with favorable DFS (HR, 0.33; p=0.001) and overall survival (OS; HR, 0.38; p=0.009) in multivariate Cox analysis. In the subgroup analysis, poor DFS was independently predicted by high TS expression (HR, 2.51; p=0.022) in the adjuvant chemotherapy subgroup (n=66). High PD-L1 expression was associated with favorable DFS (HR, 0.25; p=0.011) and OS (HR, 0.22; p=0.015) only in the surgery-alone subgroup (n=73). The prognostic impact of high ERCC1 expression was not significant in the multivariate Cox analysis., Conclusion: This study shows that high TS expression is a predictive factor for worse outcomes on capecitabine plus oxaliplatin adjuvant chemotherapy, whereas PD-L1 expression is a favorable prognostic factor in locally advanced gastric cancer patients.

As radical gastrectomy with lymph node dissection is currently the best strategy to cure gastric cancer, the role of the surgeon remains quite important in conquering it. Dr. Sung Hoon Noh, a surgeon and surgical oncologist specializing in gastric cancer, has treated gastric cancer for 30 years and has conducted over 10000 cases of gastrectomy for gastric cancer. He first adapted an electrocautery device into gastric cancer surgery and has led standardization of surgical procedures, including spleen preserving gastrectomy. His procedures based on patient-oriented insights have become the basis of the concept of enhanced recovery after surgery. He has also contributed to improving patient's survival through adoption of a multidisciplinary approach: he proved the benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy after radical D2 gastrectomy for stage II/III gastric cancer in clinical trials, updating treatment guidelines throughout the world. Dr. Noh also opened the era of precision medicine for treating gastric cancer, as he developed and validated a mRNA expression based algorithm to predict prognosis and response to chemotherapy. This article reviews his contribution and long history of service in the field of gastric cancer. The perspectives of this master surgeon, based on his profound experience and insights, will outline directions for integrative multidisciplinary health care and how can surgeons prepare for the future., Competing Interests: The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose., (© Copyright: Yonsei University College of Medicine 2019.)

Importance: Fluorescent imaging with indocyanine green can be used to visualize lymphatics. Peritumoral injection of indocyanine green may allow for visualization of every draining lymph node from a primary lesion on near-infrared imaging., Objectives: To evaluate the role of fluorescent lymphography using near-infrared imaging as an intraoperative tool for achieving complete lymph node dissection and compare the number of lymph nodes retrieved with the use of near-infrared imaging and the number of lymph nodes retrieved without the use of near-infrared imaging., Design, Setting, and Participants: This prospective single-arm study was conducted among 40 patients who underwent robotic gastrectomy between August 30, 2013, and July 21, 2014, at a single-center, tertiary referral teaching hospital. After propensity score matching, the results of these 40 patients were compared with the results of 40 historical control patients who underwent robotic gastrectomy without indocyanine green injection between January 1, 2012, and August 31, 2013. Statistical analysis was performed from January 1, 2015, to July 31, 2016., Interventions: Robotic gastrectomy with systemic lymphadenectomy and retrieval of lymph nodes under near-infrared imaging after peritumoral injection of indocyanine green to the submucosal layer 1 day before surgery., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was the number of retrieved lymph nodes in each nodal station., Results: Among the 40 patients in the study (19 women and 21 men; mean [SD] age, 52.2 [11.7] years), no complications related to indocyanine green injection or near-infrared imaging were observed. On completion of the lymphadenectomy, the absence of fluorescent lymph nodes in the dissected area was confirmed. A mean (SD) total of 23.9 (9.0) fluorescent lymph nodes were recorded among a mean (SD) total of 48.9 (14.6) overall lymph nodes retrieved. The mean number of overall lymph nodes retrieved was larger in the near-infrared group than in the historical controls (48.9 vs 35.2; P < .001), with a significantly greater number of lymph nodes retrieved at stations 2, 6, 7, 8, and 9. In the near-infrared group, 5 patients exhibited lymph node metastases, and all metastatic lymph nodes were fluorescent., Conclusions and Relevance: This study's findings suggest that fluorescent lymphography may be useful intraoperatively for identifying and retrieving all necessary lymph nodes for a complete and thorough lymphadenectomy.