Gastric cancer: factors affecting survival.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The present multicenter, retrospective study aimed at determining the factors affecting survival in patients who were operated on due to gastric cancer (GC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS: The data of 234 patients, who underwent elective surgery due to GC were retrospectively analyzed. The demographic characteristics, tumor localization and diameter, type of resection and lymph node dissection, experience of the operating surgeon (senior or junior), tumor grade, pT stage, number of lymph nodes harvested, number of lymph nodes with and without metastasis, tumor stage and survival data were recorded.

RESULTS: Survival was better a tumor diameter <4 cm, lower localization, experience of the operating surgeon (senior), without metastatic lymph nodes, tumor grade and decreased invasion depth (p < .05). There was no statistically significant difference between D1 LND and D2 LND with respect to survival (p = .793). Mortality was higher and survival was lower in patients with metastatic lymph nodes (p = .001). A number of harvested lymph nodes of 16 or more increased mortality (p = .003). Also, as disease stage increased, there was a decrease in survival and increase in mortality rates (p = .001).

CONCLUSIONS: Survival outcomes in resectable GCs are affected by the experience of the surgeon and patient-related factors at the time of surgery, including tumor size, T stage, and presence of metastatic lymph nodes.