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Objective: To assess the effect of preoperative sarcopenia on the short-term and long-term outcomes in older patients with locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC). Methods: Clinicopathological data of older patients with LAGC who underwent radical surgery were retrospectively analyzed. Sarcopenia was defined as a skeletal muscle index of less than 36.4 cm2/m2 for men and less than 28.4 cm2/m2 for women. Comparing the postoperative complications and survival between sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia groups using multicenter data. Results: A total of 406 older patients with LAGC were included in the analysis, including 145 (35.7%) with sarcopenia and 261 (64.3%) with non-sarcopenia. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that sarcopenia was an independent risk factor for postoperative complications with CD grade ≥ II (OR 1.616; P < 0.05). Kaplan–Meier survival curve analysis showed that the 5-year overall survival (OS) and 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) in the sarcopenia group were lower than those in the non-sarcopenia group (P both < 0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that sarcopenia was an independent prognostic factor for 5-year OS and RFS (P both < 0.05). The 5-year recurrence rate in the sarcopenia group was 57.2%, which was significantly higher than that in the non-sarcopenia group (46.4%; P = 0.036). Recurrence pattern analysis showed that the incidence of distant metastases in patients with sarcopenia (42.8%) was significantly higher than non-sarcopenia (31.4%; P = 0.022). Conclusion: Sarcopenia serves as a valuable predictor of both short-term and long-term outcomes in older patients with LAGC. Therefore, the significance of assessing preoperative nutritional status and implementing thorough postoperative follow-up for older LAGC patients with sarcopenia should be emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The oncologic efficacy of laparoscopic versus open surgery for advanced distal gastric cancer (ADGC) beyond 3 years after surgery remain obscure. Methods: A total of 1256 patients with ADGC at two teaching institutions in China from April 2007 to December 2014 were enrolled. The general data of the two groups were identified to enable rigorous estimation of propensity scores. Restricted mean survival time (RMST) and Landmark analysis was used to compare survival. Results: After matching 461 patients each in the open distal gastrectomy (ODG) and laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG) groups, they were included into analysis. The 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival were comparable in two groups. RMST-stratified analysis showed that the 3-year RMST of ODG group was similar to that of LDG group in patients with cT4a (− 1.38 years, p = 0.163) or with cT4a and tumor size > 5 cm, whereas the 5-year RMST had significant differences between groups in cT4a patients(− 8.36 years, P = 0.005) or cT4a and tumor size > 5 cm patients(4.67 years, P = 0.042). In patients with cT4a and tumors > 5 cm, the number of peritoneal recurrences was significantly fewer in the ODG group than in the LDG group (4 vs. 17, P = 0.033), and the peritoneal recurrence time and multiple-site recurrence time were both later in the ODG group. Conclusion: By reducing recurrence, ODG achieves a better survival for GC patients with serous infiltration and tumors larger than 5 cm beyond 3 years after surgery. The present findings can serve as a reference for surgical options and the setting of follow-up time point for clinical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study evaluated the safety, effectiveness, and feasibility of indocyanine green (ICG) tracing in guiding lymph-node (LN) dissection during laparoscopic D2 radical gastrectomy in patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Method: We retrospectively analyzed data on 313 patients with clinical stage of cT1-4N0-3M0 who underwent laparoscopic radical gastrectomy after NAC between February 2010 and October 2020 from two hospitals in China. Grouped according to whether ICG was injected. For the ICG group (n = 102) and non-ICG group (n = 211), 1:1 propensity matching analysis was used. Results: After matching, there was no significant difference in the general clinical pathological data between the two groups (ICG vs. non-ICG: 94 vs. 94). The average number of total LN dissections was significantly higher in the ICG group and lower LN non-compliance rate than in the non-ICG group. Subgroup analysis showed that among patients with LN and tumor did not shrink after NAC, the number of LN dissections was significantly more and LN non-compliance rate was lower in the ICG group than in the non-ICG group. Intraoperative blood loss was significantly lesser in the ICG group than in the non-ICG group, while the recovery and complications of the two groups were similar. Conclusion: For patients with poor NAC outcomes, ICG tracing can increase the number of LN dissections during laparoscopic radical gastrectomy, reduce the rate of LN non-compliance, and reduce intraoperative bleeding. Patients with AGC should routinely undergo ICG-guided laparoscopic radical gastrectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To validate the prognostic value of tumor regression grading (TRG) and to explore the associated factors of TRG for advanced gastric cancer (AGC) with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) plus surgery. Methods: Two hundred forty-nine AGC patients treated with NACT followed by gastrectomy at the Mayo Clinic, USA and the Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, China between January 2000 and December 2016 were enrolled in this study. Cox regression was used to identify covariates associated with overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Logistic regression was used to reveal factors predicting tumor regression grading. Results: For patients with TRG 0-1, the 3- and 5-year OS rates were 85.2% and 74.5%, respectively, when compared to 56.1% and 44.1% in patients with TRG 2 and 28.2% and 23.0% in patients with TRG 3, respectively (p<0.001). TRGs were independent risk factors for OS. Similar findings were observed in RFS. Multivariable analysis revealed that an oxaliplatin-based regimen (p=0.017) was an independent predictor of TRG. The oxaliplatin-based regimen was superior to the nonoxaliplatin-based regimen for OS (38.4 months vs 19.5 months, respectively; p=0.01). Subgroup analyses by histological subtype indicated that the oxaliplatin-based regimen improved the OS in nonsignet ring cell carcinoma compared to the nonoxaliplatin-based regimen (53.7 months vs 19.5 months, respectively; p=0.011). However, similar findings were not observed in RFS. Conclusion: TRG was an independent factor of AGC treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus surgery. Oxaliplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimens improve tumor response and may have an overall survival benefit for patients with nonsignet ring cell carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate a reasonable lymph node (N) staging system for gastric cancer patients with ≤15 retrieved lymph nodes (LNs). The clinicopathological and follow-up data of patients with ≤15 LNs were obtained from the US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to analyze the impact of the number of retrieved LNs and metastatic status on the prognosis. In addition, external validation was achieved with data from two medical centers in China. A total of 18,139 gastric cancer patients with 1–15 retrieved LNs from the SEER database were enrolled and randomly divided into the training group and the internal validation group. A new LN staging system, mNr staging (mNr0-4; 5 stages), was established according to the number of retrieved LNs and the metastatic rate. Compared with the TNM and TNrM staging systems (established by Wang J; misclassification rates of 50.4% and 62.5%, respectively), the mTNrM staging system had a lower misclassification rate (23.4%). Furthermore, there was a significant difference in the 5-year overall survival (OS) rate between the mTNrM staging subgroups (p < 0.05); however, no significant difference was found in the 5-year OS rate of partial adjacent stages in the TNM (8th edition) and TNrM (p > 0.05) staging systems. Similar results were obtained in the external validation cohort. Conclusion: mNr and mTNrM staging systems can efficiently distinguish a survival difference in patients who undergo gastrectomy with ≤15 retrieved LNs, with more accurate predictions of the 5-year OS rate of patients compared with the TNM and TNrM staging systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: No specialized prognostic model for patients with gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis (GCPM) exists for intraoperative clinical decision making. This study aims to establish a new prognostic model to provide individual treatment decisions for patients with GCPM. Method: This retrospective analysis included 324 patients with GCPM diagnosed pathologically by laparoscopy from January 2007 to January 2018 who were randomly assigned to different sets (227 in the training set and 97 in the internal validation set). A nomogram was established from preoperative and intraoperative variables determined by a Cox model. The predictive ability and clinical applicability of the PM nomogram (PMN) were compared with the 15th Japanese Classification of Gastric Carcinoma (JCGC) Staging Guidelines for PM (P1abc). Additional external validation was performed using a dataset (n = 39) from the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China. Results: The median survival time was 8 (range, 1–90) months. In the training set, each PMN substage had significantly different survival curves (P < 0.001), and the PMN was superior to the P1abc based on the results of time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve, C-index, Akaike information criterion and likelihood ratio chi-square analyses. In the internal and external validation sets, the PMN was also better than the P1abc in terms of its predictive ability. Of the PMN1 patients, those undergoing palliative resection had better overall survival (OS) than those undergoing exploratory surgery (P < 0.05). Among the patients undergoing exploratory surgery, those who received chemotherapy exhibited better OS than those who did not (P < 0.05). Among the patients who received palliative resection, only PMN1 patients exhibited better OS following chemotherapy (P < 0.05). Conclusion: We developed and validated a simple, specific PM model for patients with GCPM that can predict prognosis well and guide treatment decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: The evidence regarding the long-term results of laparoscopic spleen-preserving splenic hilar lymphadenectomy (LSPL) has only been rarely reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and oncologic efficacy of LSPL for locally advanced proximal gastric cancer.Methods: From May 2007 to December 2012, we prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed the data of 548 patients who underwent laparoscopic radical total gastrectomy due to proximal gastric cancer. The patients were grouped according to spleen-preserving splenic hilar lymphadenectomy (200 in the D2 group and 348 in the D2-group). The short- and long-term outcomes were compared between the two groups after propensity score matching.Results: Before matching, TNM stages were significantly different between the D2 and D2-groups. After propensity score matching, the two groups were well balanced in clinicopathologic characteristics. After matching, the time for lymph node dissection was longer in the D2 group, but a greater number of lymph nodes were dissected; the estimated blood loss, time to first flatus and duration of hospital stay were similar in the two groups. Furthermore, no significant differences in morbidity and mortality were found. Before matching, the 3-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates of the D2 group were comparable with those of the D2-group (62.4 vs. 57.7 %, p = 0.076). After matching, the 3-year OS remained comparable, but the D2 group showed significantly longer 3-year DFS (61.6 vs. 53.7 %, p = 0.034). Stratified analysis showed that, in stage III patients, the D2 group had better 3-year DFS. Multivariate Cox regression showed that age (p = 0.003), operation (p = 0.001) and pN stage (p < 0.001) were independent prognostic factors.Conclusions: LSPL is a safe and feasible procedure, and patients with stage III proximal gastric cancer might obtain higher 3-year DFS rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Body composition profiles influence the prognosis of several types of cancer; however, the role of body composition in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) after neoadjuvant treatment (NT) has not been well characterized., Patients and Methods: A total of 213 patients with LAGC who underwent gastrectomy after NT at a high-volume institution from southern China were comprehensively evaluated for primary analysis. Additionally, 170 and 77 patients from Western China and Italy, respectively, were reviewed for external validation. The skeletal muscle index (SMI), skeletal muscle radiodensity (SMD), and the subcutaneous as well as the visceral adiposity index were assessed from clinically acquired CT scans at diagnosis and preoperatively., Results: Overall, none of the body composition parameters significantly changed after NT. The pre-NT skeletal muscle radiodensity (SMD) and change in SMI (ΔSMI) were both significantly lower in the patients with poor response (tumor regression <50%; mean SMD: 43.5 vs 46.5, P = 0.003; mean ΔSMI: -1.0 vs 2.2, P < 0.001), and the cutoff values were calculated according to the Youden index as 43.7 and 1.2, respectively. Based on these 2 parameters, a novel model, the Skeletal Muscle Score (SMS), was proposed to predict the pathological response (AUC = 0.764 alone and = 0.822 in combination with the radiological response). Moreover, patients with an SMI loss >1.2 had a significantly prolonged drainage tube removal time (mean: 10.0 vs 8.2, P = 0.003) and postoperative hospital stay (mean: 11.1 vs 9.8, P = 0.048), as well as a significantly higher rate of postoperative complications (30.9% vs 16.7%, P = 0.015). In the multivariate analysis, SMI loss >1.2 independently predicted poor overall survival (HR: 1.677, 95% CI 1.040-2.704, P = 0.034) and recurrence-free survival (HR: 1.924, 95% CI 1.165-3.175, P = 0.011). ΔSMI was also significantly associated with pathological response, surgical outcomes, and survival in the 2 external cohorts (P all < 0.05)., Conclusions: For LAGC, the pre-NT SMD and ΔSMI could accurately predict the pathological response after NT. An SMI loss >1.2 is closely associated with poorer outcomes and may indicate the need more supportive treatment., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest There are no conflicts of interest or financial ties to disclose from any of author., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.)

Background: To investigate the incidence and prognosis of intra-abdominal infectious complications (IaICs) after laparoscopic-assisted gastrectomy (LAG) and open radical gastrectomy (OG) for gastric cancer., Methods: The data of patients who underwent radical gastrectomy (LAG and OG) for gastric cancer at the Fujian Medical University Union Hospital from January 2000 to December 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. A 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) was used to reduce bias. The incidence and prognosis of postoperative IaICs in the two groups were analyzed., Results: After PSM, no significant difference was found in the baseline data between OG (n = 913) and LAG (n = 913). The incidence of IaICs after OG and LAG was 4.1% and 5.1%, respectively (p = 0.264). The Cox multivariate analysis showed that IaICs were an independent risk factor for overall survival (OS) of patients undergoing gastrectomy (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.65, p < 0.001). Further, LAG was an independent protective factor for OS among the patients with IaICs (HR: 0.54, p = 0.036), while tumor diameter of ≥50 mm (p = 0.01) and pathological TNM stage III (p < 0.001) were independent risk factors. The 5-year OS rate was higher in the patients with IaICs who underwent LAG than in those who underwent OG (51.1% vs. 32.4%, p = 0.042). The prognostic nutritional index was similar in both groups before surgery (p = 0.220) but lower on the first, third, and fifth days after OG than after LAG (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: Compared to OG, LAG can improve the prognosis of patients with postoperative IaICs and is therefore recommended for patients at a high risk for IaICs., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To determine the indications for adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) in patients with stage IIa gastric cancer (T3N0M0 and T1N2M0) according to the 7th American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC)., Methods: A total of 1593 patients with T3N0M0 or T1N2M0 stage gastric cancer were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database for the period 1988.1-2012.12. Cox multiple regression, nomogram and decision curve analyses were performed. External validation was performed using databases of the Fujian Medical University Union Hospital (FJUUH) (n = 241) and Italy IMIGASTRIC center (n = 45)., Results: Cox multiple regression analysis showed that the risk factors that affected OS in patients receiving AC were age > 65 years old, T1N2M0, LN dissection number ≤ 15, tumor size > 20 mm, and nonadenocarcinoma. A nomogram was constructed to predict 5-year OS, and the patients were divided into those predicted to receive a high benefit (points ≤ 188) or a low benefit from AC (points > 188) according to a recursive partitioning analysis. OS was significantly higher for the high-benefit patients in the SEER database and the FJUUH dataset than in the non-AC patients (Log-rank < 0.05), and there was no significant difference in OS between the low-benefit patients and non-AC patients in any of the three centers (Log-rank = 0.154, 0.470, and 0.434, respectively). The decision curve indicated that the best clinical effect can be obtained when the threshold probability is 0-92%., Conclusion: Regarding the controversy over whether T3N0M0 and T1N2M0 gastric cancer patients should be treated with AC, this study presents a predictive model that provides concise and accurate indications. These data show that high-benefit patients should receive AC.

Background: Because of the powerful abilities of self-learning and handling complex biological information, artificial neural network (ANN) models have been widely applied to disease diagnosis, imaging analysis, and prognosis prediction. However, there has been no trained preoperative ANN (preope-ANN) model to preoperatively predict the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer (GC)., Aim: To establish a neural network model that can predict long-term survival of GC patients before surgery to evaluate the tumor condition before the operation., Methods: The clinicopathological data of 1608 GC patients treated from January 2011 to April 2015 at the Department of Gastric Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were randomly divided into a training set (70%) for establishing a preope-ANN model and a testing set (30%). The prognostic evaluation ability of the preope-ANN model was compared with that of the American Joint Commission on Cancer (8 th edition) clinical TNM (cTNM) and pathological TNM (pTNM) staging through the receiver operating characteristic curve, Akaike information criterion index, Harrell's C index, and likelihood ratio chi-square., Results: We used the variables that were statistically significant factors for the 3-year overall survival as input-layer variables to develop a preope-ANN in the training set. The survival curves within each score of the preope-ANN had good discrimination ( P < 0.05). Comparing the preope-ANN model, cTNM, and pTNM in both the training and testing sets, the preope-ANN model was superior to cTNM in predictive discrimination (C index), predictive homogeneity (likelihood ratio chi-square), and prediction accuracy (area under the curve). The prediction efficiency of the preope-ANN model is similar to that of pTNM., Conclusion: The preope-ANN model can accurately predict the long-term survival of GC patients, and its predictive efficiency is not inferior to that of pTNM stage., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (©The Author(s) 2019. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Previous studies have elucidated that on average, long-term cancer survivors have better prognoses than newly diagnosed individuals. This study aimed to devise a nomogram to predict the conditional probability of cancer-specific survival (CPCS) in gastric cancer (GC) patients after D2 lymphadenectomy., Methods: Clinicopathological data for 2,596 GC patients who underwent D2 lymphadenectomy in an Eastern institution (the training cohort) were retrospectively analysed. Cancer-specific survival (CSS) was predicted using Cox regression models. A nomogram was constructed to predict CPCS at 3 and 5 years post-gastrectomy. Two external validations were performed using a cohort of 2,198 Chinese patients and a cohort of 504 Italian patients., Results: In the training cohort, the 5-year CPCS was 59.2% immediately post-gastrectomy and increased to 68.8%, 79.7%, and 88.8% at 1, 2, and 3 years post-gastrectomy, respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that age; tumour site, size and invasion depth; numbers of examined and metastatic lymph nodes; and surgical margins were independent prognostic factors of CSS (all P < 0.05) and formed the nomogram predictor variables. Internal validation showed that the conditional nomogram exhibited good discrimination ability at 3 and 5 years post-gastrectomy (concordance index, 0.794 and 0.789, respectively). External validation showed a 3- and 5-year concordance index of 0.788 and 0.785, respectively, in the Chinese cohort, and 0.792 and 0.787, respectively, in the Italian cohort. Calibration of the nomogram predicted that survival corresponded closely with actual survival., Conclusions: we developed a robust nomogram to predict CPCS after D2 lymphadenectomy for GC based on survival duration., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of the eighth AJCC TNM staging classification for patients with gastric cancer who had already survived for 5 years., Patients and Methods: Patients who underwent radical gastrectomy at a large eastern center were considered. The prognostic value of staging systems were assessed and compared. Additional external validation was performed using a dataset from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) database., Results: The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate for patients in the training set was 59.4%. With the prolongation of the survival time after surgery, the 5-year OS improved significantly (P < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in survival curves among patients who have survived 5 years after surgery. The AUC and χ2 of the eighth AJCC classification for predicting of 5-year OS decreased gradually after surgery and appeared stable after 5 years. For patients who survived 5 years after surgery, we constructed a new TNM staging system (nTNM) according to the survival curves of T stage and N stage. A 2-step multivariate analysis showed that nTNM, age and sex were independent prognostic factors. The nTNM demonstrated superior prognostic stratification, with higher c-statistic and likelihood ratio chi-square scores and lower AIC values than those of the AJCC classification. Similar results were observed in the external validation set., Conclusion: The nTNM predicted an additional survival more accurately than did the AJCC classification for patients who have survived 5 years after surgery; this may guide decisions regarding surveillance., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.)

Background: The aim of this study is to investigate trends in the incidence and survival of patients with gastric neuroendocrine neoplasms (g-NENs)., Methods: and methods: Patients diagnosed with g-NENs (n = 3523) were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. Patients diagnosed with g-NENs (n = 199) in our department were designated as a validation dataset. Nomograms were adopted to predict disease-specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS)., Results: The incidence of g-NENs is steadily increasing over time at a rate higher than any other cancer [annual percentage change (APC) = 6.3%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 5.6-7.0]. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year DSS rates were 87%, 78.6% and 70.6%, respectively, and the corresponding OS rates were 84.3%, 71.9%, and 53.7%, respectively. The multivariate analysis identified age, sex, T stage, M stage, and histological type as independent prognostic factors for both DSS and OS (all P < .05). The concordance indexes of the nomograms for DSS and OS in the training dataset were superior to those of the traditional tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging system [0.899 and 0.849 versus 0.864 and 0.783]. Calibration plots of the nomograms showed that the probability of DSS and OS closely corresponded to the actual observations in both the SEER-based training dataset and our inpatient validation dataset., Conclusion: The incidence of g-NENs has been steadily increasing at a rapid rate over the past four decades. The nomograms based on the analysis of the SEER database were superior to the TNM staging system in predicting the clinical outcomes for g-NEN patients., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: The dynamic prognosis of patients who have undergone curative surgery for gastric cancer has yet to be reported. Our objective was to devise an accurate tool for predicting the conditional probability of survival for these patients., Methods: We analyzed 11,551 gastric cancer patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Two-thirds of the patients were selected randomly for the development set and one-third for the validation set. Two nomograms were constructed to predict the conditional probability of overall survival and the conditional probability of disease-specific survival, using conditional survival methods. We then applied these nomograms to the 4,001 patients in the database from Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China, one of the most active Chinese institutes., Results: The 5-year conditional probability of overall survival of the patients was 41.6% immediately after resection and increased to 52.8%, 68.2%, and 80.4% at 1, 2, and 3 years after gastrectomy. The 5-year conditional probability of disease-specific survival "increased" from 48.9% at the time of gastrectomy to 59.8%, 74.7%, and 85.5% for patients surviving 1, 2, and 3 years, respectively. Sex; race; age; depth of tumor invasion; lymph node metastasis; and tumor size, site, and grade were associated with overall survival and disease-specific survival (P <.05). Within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results validation set, the accuracy of the conditional probability of overall survival nomogram was 0.77, 0.81, 0.82, and 0.82 at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years after gastrectomy, respectively. Within the other validation set from the Fujian Medical University Union Hospital (n = 4,001), the accuracy of the conditional probability of overall survival nomogram was 0.76, 0.79, 0.77, and 0.77 at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years, respectively. The accuracy of the conditional probability of disease-specific survival model was also favorable. The calibration curve demonstrated good agreement between the predicted and observed survival rates., Conclusion: Based on the large Eastern and Western data sets, we developed and validated the first conditional nomogram for prediction of conditional probability of survival for patients with gastric cancer to allow consideration of the duration of survivorship., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study investigated anatomical variations in the confluence types of the right gastroepiploic vein (RGEV) to improve knowledge regarding no. 6 lymphadenectomy for laparoscopic gastrectomy.The RGEV drainage patterns of 144 patients who were diagnosed with gastric cancer and underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy at our department from July 2010 to June 2011 were prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed, and we compared the impact of different drainage patterns on no. 6 lymphadenectomy.The RGEV confluence types were classified into 6 categories in this study. Types I, II, and III, which were observed in 53 (36.8%), 27 (18.8%), and 21 (14.6%) cases, respectively, were the most frequently found during gastrectomy. All 3 of these types included a gastropancreatic trunk and were defined as the gastropancreatic group (GP group). In addition, 15 cases (10.4%) were categorized as type IV, 19 (13.2%) were categorized as type V, and 9 (6.3%) were categorized as type VI. These 3 types, which could form a gastrocolic trunk, were defined as the gastrocolic group (GC group). No significant differences were found with respect to the clinicopathological characteristics, postoperative morbidity, perioperative mortality, and 3-year overall survival rates after surgery between the 2 groups (all P > 0.05). However, the mean no. 6 lymph node (No. 6 LN) dissection time, the mean blood loss due to No. 6 LN dissection and the rate of infrapyloric vascular injury were significantly increased in the GC group compared with the GP group (all P < 0.05).The RGEV exhibits 6 types of drainage patterns, and the division points of this vein during laparoscopic gastrectomy depend on the different drainage patterns. For types IV, V, and VI, the surgeon should carefully vascularize and divide the RGEV above its confluences during surgery.

To investigate the risk factors for postoperative complications following laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) for gastric cancer and to use the risk factors to develop a predictive scoring system.Few studies have been designed to develop scoring systems to predict complications after LG for gastric cancer.We analyzed records of 2170 patients who underwent a LG for gastric cancer. A logistic regression model was used to identify the determinant variables and develop a predictive score.There were 2170 patients, of whom 299 (13.8%) developed overall complications and 78 (3.6%) developed major complications. A multivariate analysis showed the following adverse risk factors for overall complications: age ≥65 years, body mass index (BMI) ≥ 28 kg/m, tumor with pyloric obstruction, tumor with bleeding, and intraoperative blood loss ≥75 mL; age ≥65 years, a Charlson comorbidity score ≥3, tumor with bleeding and intraoperative blood loss ≥75 mL were identified as independent risk factors for major complications. Based on these factors, the authors developed the following predictive score: low risk (no risk factors), intermediate risk (1 risk factor), and high risk (≥2 risk factors). The overall complication rates were 8.3%, 15.6%, and 29.9% for the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk categories, respectively (P < 0.001); the major complication rates in the 3 respective groups were 1.2%, 4.7%, and 10.0% (P < 0.001).This simple scoring system could accurately predict the risk of postoperative complications after LG for gastric cancer. The score might be helpful in the selection of risk-adapted interventions to improve surgical safety.

Aim: To report the incidence and potential risk factors of small-volume chylous ascites (SVCA) following laparoscopic radical gastrectomy (LAG)., Methods: A total of 1366 consecutive gastric cancer patients who underwent LAG from January 2008 to June 2011 were enrolled in this study. We analyzed the patients based on the presence or absence of SVCA., Results: SVCA was detected in 57 (4.17%) patients, as determined by the small-volume drainage (range, 30-100 mL/24 h) of triglyceride-rich fluid. Both univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that the total number of resected lymph nodes (LNs), No. 8 or No. 9 LN metastasis and N stage were independent risk factors for SVCA following LAG (P<0.05). Regarding hospital stay, there was a significant difference between the groups with and without SVCA (P<0.001). The 3-year disease-free and overall survival rates of the patients with SVCA were 47.4% and 56.1%, respectively, which were similar to those of the patients without SVCA (P>0.05)., Conclusion: SVCA following LAG developed significantly more frequently in the patients with ≥32 harvested LNs, ≥3 metastatic LNs, or No. 8 or No. 9 LN metastasis. SVCA, which was successfully treated with conservative management, was associated with a prolonged hospital stay but was not associated with the prognosis.