OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of body mass index (BMI) on postoperative short-term prognosis and survival rate of gastric cancer patients.

METHODSClinical and follow-up date of 153 gastric cancer cases undergoing radical operation in our hospital from January to June 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. According to BMI, patients were divided into low group (BMI<18.5, 23 cases), normal group (18.5≤BMI<25.0, 95 cases) and high group (BMI≥25.0, 35 cases). Clinicopathological features and outcomes were compared the among three groups.

RESULTSAmong three groups, the differences in operation time, intraoperative blood loss, number of lymph node retrieved, postoperative hospital stay, lymph node metastasis rate, tumor staging and postoperative complication morbidity were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). Preoperative hemoglobin in the low group was significantly lower as compared to normal and high groups [(106.1±13.8) g/L vs. 113.5±5.2) g/L and (123.5±8.7) g/L, F=3.265, P=0.041], and so was the preoperative albumin [(38.7±2.5) g/L vs. (41.3±0.8) g/L and (43.5±1.4) g/L, F=8.516, P=0.000]. The ratio of gastric cardiac cancer in the low group was significantly lower as compared to the normal and high groups[34.8%(8/23) vs. 68.4%(65/95) and 62.9%(22/35), χ(2)=8.913, P=0.012]. Five-year survival rate of the low, normal and high groups were 43.5%, 50.5% and 65.7% respectively(P=0.189). Subgroup analysis showed that the 5-year survival rate of patients with gastric cardiac cancer in the low group was significantly lower as compared to those in the high group (25.0% vs. 84.6%, P=0.004).

CONCLUSIONSBMI dose not generally play a role in short-term outcomes and long-term survival of the gastric cancer patients. Nutritional improvement and body weight maintenance may be beneficial to low BMI patients, especially those with gastric cardiac cancer.