Objective:To explore the optimal age cutoff for diagnosis and the prognosis of early-onset gastric cancer in young patients.Methods:Clinicopathological data of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma aged ≤45 years who had undergone radical gastrectomy in the Department of Gastric Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center from January 2013 to December 2018 were retrospectively collected. Patients with distant metastases, other malignant tumors, combined organ resection, gastric stump cancer, positive margin, and incomplete clinical or follow-up data were excluded. X-tile software analysis of the actual overall survival of the collected cases yielded an optimal cut-off of 32 years. Accordingly, the enrolled cases were divided into an early-onset young group (age ≤32 years) and young adult group (age >32 years). Clinicopathological characteristics, long-term survival, and postoperative recurrence were compared between the two groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using the Cox proportional hazards model to identify the factors affecting the prognosis of young patients with gastric cancer.Results:The study cohort comprised 462 patients, including 256 (55.4%) women, 419 (90.7%) with middle and lower gastric cancers, and 343 (74.2%) with poorly differentiated tumors. There were 101 patients in the early-onset young group and 361 in the young adult group. These groups did not differ significantly in terms of sex, body mass index, tumor location, tumor size, surgical procedure, neurovascular invasion, or tumor stage (all P>0.05). The proportion of patients with poorly differentiated tumors in the early-onset young group was significantly higher than that in the young adult group (89.1%[90/101] vs. 70.1%[253/361], χ 2=15.26, P<0.001). All study patients completed 5 years of follow-up, the median duration of which was 101 months (61-133 months). Death or tumor recurrence occurred in 151 patients (32.7%), in 118 of whom the sites of recurrence and metastasis could be identified, 38 in the early-onset young group and 80 in the young adult group. Fifty-five (46.6%) patients developed peritoneal metastases and 40 (33.9%) hematogenous metastases. In the early-onset young group, 20 patients developed peritoneal metastases, 11 hematogenous metastases, five distant lymph node metastases, and two local recurrence. In the young adult group, 35 patients developed peritoneal metastases, 29 hematogenous metastases, six local recurrences, and 10 distant lymph node metastases. The 5-year overall survival and disease-free survival rates were significantly higher in the young adult group than in the early-onset young group (73.7% vs. 57.4%, P=0.002 and 70.6% vs. 55.4%, P=0.004, respectively). Cox multivariate analysis showed that age >32 years (HR=0.63, 95%CI: 0.43-0.90, P=0.012) was an independent protective factor for overall survival, whereas later N stage (HR=1.67, 95%CI:1.09-2.57, P=0.018) was an independent risk factor for overall survival after surgery ( P<0.05). Age >32 years (HR=0.60, 95%CI: 0.41-0.86, P=0.006) was also an independent protective factor for disease-free survival, whereas later N stage was an independent risk factor (HR=1.69, 95%CI: 1.08-2.64, P=0.021). Conclusion:Young patients with early-onset gastric cancer aged ≤32 years have worse tumor differentiation and prognosis.

Objective:To investigate the impact of bedside ultrasound-guided hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) after laparoscopic gastric cancer surgery on the prognosis of patients with only positive peritoneal lavage cytology (CY+) and no other distant metastases.Methods:The clinicopathological data of 49 patients with only positive peritoneal lavage cytology who underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy and D2 lymph node dissection from December 2017 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into the HIPEC group (27 cases) and the non-HIPEC group (22 cases) based on whether they received postoperative bedside ultrasound-guided HIPEC. The patterns of postoperative recurrence and metastasis and the 3-year survival rates were compared between the two groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses using the Cox proportional hazards model were conducted to determine the prognostic factors.Results:There was no statistically significant difference in all baseline clinicopathological data between the two groups ( P>0.05); the median follow-up time for all patients was 31 months (ranging from 13 to 73 months), and the overall recurrence rate for all patients was 55.1% (27/49). Among them, 12 cases (24.5%) had peritoneal metastasis, 7 cases (14.3%) had hematogenous recurrence, 5 cases (10.2%) had distant lymph node metastasis, and 3 cases (6.1%) had local recurrence. The overall recurrence rates of patients in the HIPEC group and the non-HIPEC group were 51.8% (14/27) and 59.1% (13/22), respectively. There was no statistically significant difference (χ 2=0.26, P=0.612). The peritoneal metastasis rate of patients in the HIPEC group was 18.5% (5/27), which was lower than that of the non-HIPEC group at 31.8% (7/22). However, there was no statistically significant difference (χ 2=1.16, P=0.282). The proportions of local recurrence, hematogenous metastasis, and distant lymph node metastasis were comparable between the two groups (all P>0.05). The cumulative 3-year recurrence rates of the two groups were similar (70.7% vs. 71.3%, P=0.266). In the HIPEC group, the 3-year overall survival rate was 61.1%, which was significantly higher than that of the non-HIPEC group (31.5%). The difference was statistically significant ( P=0.014). The disease-free progression survival rates of the two groups were 29.3% and 28.7% respectively, and there was no statistically significant difference between them ( P=0.266). Cox multivariate analysis showed that no postoperative HIPEC (HR=5.21, 95%CI:1.90-14.31, P=0.001), poor tumor differentiation (HR=3.78, 95%CI:1.07-13.26, P=0.038), and later N stage (HR=6.18, 95%CI:1.39-7.59, P=0.017) were independent risk factors for the overall survival rate after surgery ( P<0.05). Later N stage (HR=3.67, 95%CI:1.07-12.55, P=0.038) was an independent risk factor for the disease-free progression survival rate after surgery ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Bedside ultrasound-guided HIPEC after laparoscopic gastrectomy and D2 lymph node dissection can improve the overall survival of CY+ gastric cancer patients.

Objective:To explore the optimal age cutoff for diagnosis and the prognosis of early-onset gastric cancer in young patients.Methods:Clinicopathological data of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma aged ≤45 years who had undergone radical gastrectomy in the Department of Gastric Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center from January 2013 to December 2018 were retrospectively collected. Patients with distant metastases, other malignant tumors, combined organ resection, gastric stump cancer, positive margin, and incomplete clinical or follow-up data were excluded. X-tile software analysis of the actual overall survival of the collected cases yielded an optimal cut-off of 32 years. Accordingly, the enrolled cases were divided into an early-onset young group (age ≤32 years) and young adult group (age >32 years). Clinicopathological characteristics, long-term survival, and postoperative recurrence were compared between the two groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using the Cox proportional hazards model to identify the factors affecting the prognosis of young patients with gastric cancer.Results:The study cohort comprised 462 patients, including 256 (55.4%) women, 419 (90.7%) with middle and lower gastric cancers, and 343 (74.2%) with poorly differentiated tumors. There were 101 patients in the early-onset young group and 361 in the young adult group. These groups did not differ significantly in terms of sex, body mass index, tumor location, tumor size, surgical procedure, neurovascular invasion, or tumor stage (all P>0.05). The proportion of patients with poorly differentiated tumors in the early-onset young group was significantly higher than that in the young adult group (89.1%[90/101] vs. 70.1%[253/361], χ 2=15.26, P<0.001). All study patients completed 5 years of follow-up, the median duration of which was 101 months (61-133 months). Death or tumor recurrence occurred in 151 patients (32.7%), in 118 of whom the sites of recurrence and metastasis could be identified, 38 in the early-onset young group and 80 in the young adult group. Fifty-five (46.6%) patients developed peritoneal metastases and 40 (33.9%) hematogenous metastases. In the early-onset young group, 20 patients developed peritoneal metastases, 11 hematogenous metastases, five distant lymph node metastases, and two local recurrence. In the young adult group, 35 patients developed peritoneal metastases, 29 hematogenous metastases, six local recurrences, and 10 distant lymph node metastases. The 5-year overall survival and disease-free survival rates were significantly higher in the young adult group than in the early-onset young group (73.7% vs. 57.4%, P=0.002 and 70.6% vs. 55.4%, P=0.004, respectively). Cox multivariate analysis showed that age >32 years (HR=0.63, 95%CI: 0.43-0.90, P=0.012) was an independent protective factor for overall survival, whereas later N stage (HR=1.67, 95%CI:1.09-2.57, P=0.018) was an independent risk factor for overall survival after surgery ( P<0.05). Age >32 years (HR=0.60, 95%CI: 0.41-0.86, P=0.006) was also an independent protective factor for disease-free survival, whereas later N stage was an independent risk factor (HR=1.69, 95%CI: 1.08-2.64, P=0.021). Conclusion:Young patients with early-onset gastric cancer aged ≤32 years have worse tumor differentiation and prognosis.

Objective:To investigate the impact of bedside ultrasound-guided hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) after laparoscopic gastric cancer surgery on the prognosis of patients with only positive peritoneal lavage cytology (CY+) and no other distant metastases.Methods:The clinicopathological data of 49 patients with only positive peritoneal lavage cytology who underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy and D2 lymph node dissection from December 2017 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into the HIPEC group (27 cases) and the non-HIPEC group (22 cases) based on whether they received postoperative bedside ultrasound-guided HIPEC. The patterns of postoperative recurrence and metastasis and the 3-year survival rates were compared between the two groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses using the Cox proportional hazards model were conducted to determine the prognostic factors.Results:There was no statistically significant difference in all baseline clinicopathological data between the two groups ( P>0.05); the median follow-up time for all patients was 31 months (ranging from 13 to 73 months), and the overall recurrence rate for all patients was 55.1% (27/49). Among them, 12 cases (24.5%) had peritoneal metastasis, 7 cases (14.3%) had hematogenous recurrence, 5 cases (10.2%) had distant lymph node metastasis, and 3 cases (6.1%) had local recurrence. The overall recurrence rates of patients in the HIPEC group and the non-HIPEC group were 51.8% (14/27) and 59.1% (13/22), respectively. There was no statistically significant difference (χ 2=0.26, P=0.612). The peritoneal metastasis rate of patients in the HIPEC group was 18.5% (5/27), which was lower than that of the non-HIPEC group at 31.8% (7/22). However, there was no statistically significant difference (χ 2=1.16, P=0.282). The proportions of local recurrence, hematogenous metastasis, and distant lymph node metastasis were comparable between the two groups (all P>0.05). The cumulative 3-year recurrence rates of the two groups were similar (70.7% vs. 71.3%, P=0.266). In the HIPEC group, the 3-year overall survival rate was 61.1%, which was significantly higher than that of the non-HIPEC group (31.5%). The difference was statistically significant ( P=0.014). The disease-free progression survival rates of the two groups were 29.3% and 28.7% respectively, and there was no statistically significant difference between them ( P=0.266). Cox multivariate analysis showed that no postoperative HIPEC (HR=5.21, 95%CI:1.90-14.31, P=0.001), poor tumor differentiation (HR=3.78, 95%CI:1.07-13.26, P=0.038), and later N stage (HR=6.18, 95%CI:1.39-7.59, P=0.017) were independent risk factors for the overall survival rate after surgery ( P<0.05). Later N stage (HR=3.67, 95%CI:1.07-12.55, P=0.038) was an independent risk factor for the disease-free progression survival rate after surgery ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Bedside ultrasound-guided HIPEC after laparoscopic gastrectomy and D2 lymph node dissection can improve the overall survival of CY+ gastric cancer patients.