PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the surgical outcomes of abdominal total gastrectomy, without mediastinal lymph node dissection for type II and III gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed surgical outcomes in 67 consecutive patients with type II and III GEJ cancers that were treated by the surgical resection between 2004 and 2008. RESULTS: Thirty (45%) patients had type II and 37 (55%) had type III tumor. Among the 65 (97%) patients with curative surgery, 21 (31%) patients underwent the extended total gastrectomy with trans-hiatal distal esophageal resection, and in 44 (66%) patients, abdominal total gastrectomy alone was done. Palliative gastrectomy was performed in two patients due to the accompanying peritoneal metastasis. The postoperative morbidity and mortality rates were 21.4% and 1.5%, respectively. After a median follow up of 36 months, the overall 3-years was 68%, without any differences between the Siewert types or the operative approaches (transhiatal approach vs. abdominal approach alone). On the univariate analysis, the T stage, N stage and R0 resection were found to be associated with the survival, and multivariate analysis revealed that the N stage was a poor independent prognostic factor for survival. CONCLUSIONS: Type II and III GEJ cancers may successfully be treated with the abdominal total gastrectomy, without mediastinal lymph node dissection in the Korean population.
Esophagogastric Junction ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Korea ; Lymph Node Excision ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms

PURPOSE: We evaluated the predictive value of preoperative lung spirometry test for postoperative morbidity and the nature of complications related to an abnormal pulmonary function after gastric cancer surgery. METHODS: Between February 2009 and March 2010, 538 gastric cancer patients who underwent laparoscopic (n = 247) and open gastrectomy (n = 291) were divided into the normal (forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1]/forced vital capacity [FVC] > or = 0.7, n = 441) and abnormal pulmonary function group (FEV1/FVC < 0.7, n = 97), according to the preoperative lung spirometry test. The predictive value of lung spirometry for postoperative morbidity was evaluated using the univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: After surgery, the abnormal pulmonary function group showed a significantly increased incidence of local (29.9% vs. 18.1%, P = 0.009) and systemic complications (8.2% vs. 2.0%, P = 0.005) than the normal group. Of local complications, anastomosis leakage and wound complication were found to be more common in the abnormal pulmonary function group. In the univariate and multivariate analysis, an abnormal pulmonary function was an independent predictor for postoperative local complication (odds ratio, 1.75; 95% confidence interval, 1.03 to 2.97) after adjusted by old age, total gastrectomy, open surgery, and tumor-node-metastasis stage. Meanwhile, an old age and a history of pulmonary disease were independent predictors for systemic complication. CONCLUSION: Preoperative lung spirometry is a simple and useful means to predict postoperative morbidity after gastric cancer surgery. In view of its simplicity and low cost, we recommend adding preoperative lung spirometry test to assess the operative risk and aid in proper perioperative treatment planning.
Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lung ; Lung Diseases ; Multivariate Analysis ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Spirometry ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Vital Capacity

PURPOSE: Siewert's classification of adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG) has been widely adopted, but there is a wide discrepancy of the clinicopathological features of AEG of the Asian patients as compared to that of the Western patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinicopathological characteristics of AEG according to the Siewert classification. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Among the patients who underwent surgery for gastric carcinoma in our institution between May 2004 and February 2008, the AEG patients were selected based on their operation records and the photographs according to Siewert's classification. RESULTS: There were 70 AEG patients (3.9%) among the total of 1,778 patients. There were 3 patients (4.3%) with type I, 30 patients (42.8%) with type II and 37 patients (52.8%) with type III. Curative resection (R0) was achieved in 68 cases (97.1%). No significant differences in gender, stage, Barrett's esophagus and the proximal margin were found between the patients with type II and type III AEG. The patients with type III were younger than the patients with type II (59 vs 64 years, respectively, P=0.049). Well differentiated histology (P=0.045) and the intestinal type (P=0.055) were significantly more frequent in the patients with type II as compared with that in the patients with type III. CONCLUSION: There was a striking difference of the Asian patients from the Western patients for the incidence of AEG (and especially type I). Some of the differences between type II and type III patients were similar to those of the previous Western studies. A large study is needed to investigate whether these features are typical in the Korean population.
Adenocarcinoma ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Barrett Esophagus ; Esophagogastric Junction ; Humans ; Incidence ; Strikes, Employee

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PURPOSE: Postsurgical anemia is one of the common unpleasant postoperative sequels during the early postoperative period after gastrectomy, for which no standard care has been established. To facilitate proper management, we investigated the clinical features of postsurgical anemia and sought to identify the factors affecting its subsequent recovery. METHODS: A retrospective review of 406 consecutive gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy without systemic chemotherapy between August 2008 and September 2009. Clinical courses of postsurgical anemia were monitored at 3, 6, and 12 months post-surgery. Clinicopathological factors affecting recovery of postsurgical anemia were analyzed using a multivariate logistic regression model. RESULTS: The study subjects consisted of 265 males and 141 females (mean age, 61.8 years). After operation, 318 (78.3%) presented with postsurgical anemia, and 217 (66.7%) and 47 (11.6%) had mild or moderate anemia, respectively, at the time of discharge. During the follow-up, 173 (54.4%) of the 318 with postsurgical anemia showed a spontaneous recovery at 3 months post-surgery, but no significant changes were observed in postsurgical anemia at 6 or 12 months post-surgery. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that old age (> or =60 years), preoperative anemia, anemia severity (moderate anemia), and total gastrectomy were independent factors that adversely affect the spontaneous recovery of post-surgical anemia after gastrectomy. CONCLUSION: Proper intervention may be required for postsurgical anemia that does not achieve a spontaneous recovery until postoperative 3 months. However, proper management, such as the use of iron or the best route for iron supplementation, needs to be evaluated in future clinical trials.
Anemia ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Iron ; Iron Metabolism Disorders ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Postoperative Period ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic gastrectomy in obese patients has been investigated in several studies, but its feasibility has rarely been examined in morbidly obese patients, such as in those with a body mass index (BMI) of > or =30 kg/m2. The present study aimed to evaluate the technical feasibility and safety of laparoscopic gastrectomy in morbidly obese patients with gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1,512 gastric cancer patients who underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG) were divided into three groups: normal (BMI<25 kg/m2, n=996), obese (BMI 25~30 kg/m2, n=471), and morbidly obese (BMI> or =30 kg/m2, n=45). Short-term surgical outcomes, including the course of hospitalization and postoperative complications, were compared between the three groups. RESULTS: The morbidly obese group had a significantly longer operating time (240 minutes vs. 204 minutes, P=0.010) than the normal group, but no significant differences were found between the groups with respect to intraoperative blood loss or other complications. In the morbidly obese group, the postoperative morbidity and mortality rates were 13.3% and 0%, respectively, and the mean length of hospital stay was 8.2 days, which were not significantly different from those in the normal group. Subgroup analysis showed that postoperative complication rates were not high in morbidly obese patients, independent of the type of anastomosis technique used and level of lymph node dissection. CONCLUSIONS: LDG is technically feasible and safe in morbidly obese patients with a BMI of > or =30 kg/m2 and early gastric carcinoma. Except for a longer operating time, LDG might represent a reasonable treatment option in these patients.
Body Mass Index ; Gastrectomy* ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Korea ; Laparoscopy ; Length of Stay ; Lymph Node Excision ; Mortality ; Obesity, Morbid ; Postoperative Complications ; Stomach Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: Information regarding antimicrobial prophylaxis (AMP) for gastric cancer surgery is limited. The present study investigated the efficacy of single-dose AMP for the prevention of surgical site infection (SSI) in patients undergoing gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 2011 and 2013, 1,330 gastric carcinoma surgery patients were divided into two AMP administration groups depending on the duration of treatment. Postoperative outcomes including morbidity and SSI were compared between the two groups overall and in matched patients. Risk factors for SSI were analyzed. RESULTS: The extended group (n=1,129) received AMP until postoperative day 1 and the single-dose group (n=201) received singledose AMP only during an operation. Postoperatively, there were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to overall morbidity, mortality, or length of hospital stay. The SSI rate of the single-dose group was not significantly different from that of the extended group overall (4.5% vs. 5.5%, respectively, P=0.556) or in matched patients (4.5% vs. 4.0%, respectively, P=0.801). There was no increase in the SSI rate of the single-dose group compared to the extended group in subgroups based on different clinicopathological and operative factors. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed male gender, open surgery, and operating time (> or =180 minutes) as independent risk factors for SSI. CONCLUSIONS: Single-dose AMP showed no increase in the postoperative SSI rate compared to postoperative extended use in patients undergoing gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma. The efficacy of single-dose AMP requires further investigation in randomized clinical trials specific to gastric cancer surgery.
Antibiotic Prophylaxis ; Gastrectomy* ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Mortality ; Multivariate Analysis ; Risk Factors ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Surgical Wound Infection

PURPOSE: Despite the compelling scientific and clinical data supporting the use of early oral nutrition after major gastrointestinal surgery, traditional bowel rest and intravenous nutrition for several postoperative days is still being used widely after gastric cancer surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A phase II study was carried out to evaluate the feasibility and safety of postoperative early oral intake (water intake on postoperative days (POD) 1-2, and soft diet on POD 3) after a gastrectomy. The primary outcome was morbidity within 30 postoperative days, which was targeted at <25% based on pilot study data. RESULTS: The study subjects were 90 males and 42 females with a mean age 61.5 years. One hundred and four (79%) and 28 (21%) patients underwent a distal and total gastrectomy, respectively. The postoperative morbidity rate was within the targeted range (15.2%, 95% CI, 10.0~22.3%), and there was no hospital mortality. Of the 132 patients, 117 (89%) successfully completed a postoperative early oral intake regimen without deviation; deviation in 10 (8%) due to gastrointestinal symptoms and in five (4%) due to the management of postoperative complications. The mean times to water intake and a soft diet were 1.0+/-0.2 and 3.2+/-0.7 days, respectively, and the mean hospital stay was 10.0+/-6.1 days. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative early oral intake after a gastrectomy is feasible and safe, and can be adopted as a standard perioperative care after a gastrectomy. Nevertheless, further clinical trials will be needed to evaluate the benefits of early oral nutrition after upper gastrointestinal surgery.
Diet ; Drinking ; Feasibility Studies ; Female ; Gastrectomy ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Perioperative Care ; Pilot Projects ; Postoperative Care ; Postoperative Complications ; Stomach Neoplasms

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of surgically diagnosing early gastric cancer (EGC) and lymph node metastasis, and to determine its role for performing limited surgery for EGC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed 369 patients who underwent gastrectomy for primary gastric carcinoma. The surgical diagnosis was evaluated by determining its sensitivity, specificity and accuracy, and this was compared with the preoperative examinations. RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the intraoperative diagnosis for EGC were 74.5%, 95.7% and 83.7%, respectively. The predictive value for EGC according to the intraoperative diagnosis was 95.7%. The surgical diagnosis of EGC showed higher specificity and a higher predictive value than preoperative examinations, which significantly reduced the risk of underestimating advanced gastric cancer (AGC) to EGC. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for lymph node metastasis according to the surgical diagnosis were 73.2%, 78.1% and 76.4%, respectively. For 70 patients with a discrepancy in the diagnosis of EGC between the pre- and intra-operative diagnosis, the surgical diagnosis was correct in 63 (90%) patients, but the preoperative examinations were correct in only 7 (10%) patients. CONCLUSION: The surgical diagnosis showed better accuracy than the preoperative examinations for detecting EGC and lymph node metastasis. Our results suggest that the decision for conducting limited surgery based on the surgical diagnosis might reduce the risk of under-treatment of AGC to EGC better than the preoperative examinations.
Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Stomach Neoplasms

PURPOSE: The usefulness of serum tumor markers for assessing gastric carcinoma is very limited compared to that for neoplasms in other digestive organs. Many reports have shown that serum tumor markers are closely associated with the prognosis and tumor recurrence in gastric cancer patients. However, little is known about the usefulness of serum tumor markers as a predictor of distant metastasis for gastric carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: With excluding the non-specific causes of elevated tumor markers, a total of 788 patients with gastric carcinoma and who were seen at our hospitals between 2004 and 2006 were included in this study. The correlation between the preoperative level of tumor makers and the clinicopathological features was analyzed. RESULTS: CEA was significantly correlated with age, gender and nodal metastasis, but not with the depth of tumor. The CEA level was not correlated with distant metastasis, such as peritoneal or hematogenous metastasis. In contrast, the CA 19-9 level was significantly correlated not only with the depth of tumor and nodal metastasis, but also with peritoneal metastasis. Especially, the patients with over 500% elevation of the CA 19-9 level had a significant risk of peritoneal metastasis. CONCLUSION: CA 19-9 is useful for predicting peritoneal metastasis in gastric cancer patients. It can be used efficiently in making the diagnostic and the treatment plan, in combination with other diagnostic tools, for gastric cancer patients.
Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Biomarkers, Tumor