BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant therapy enhances the possibility of achieving radical resection and improves the prognosis for locally advanced gastric cancer (GC). However, there is a lack of evidence regarding the optimal extent of resection for locally advanced proximal GC after neoadjuvant therapy. METHODS: In this study, 330 patients underwent resection in Peking University Cancer Hospital, with curative intent after neoadjuvant therapy for histologically confirmed proximal GC from January 2009 to December 2022. RESULTS: In this study, 45 patients underwent proximal gastrectomy (PG), while 285 underwent total gastrectomy (TG). After propensity-score matching, 110 patients (71 TG and 39 PG) were included in the analysis. No significant differences between PG and TG regarding short-term outcomes and long-term prognosis were found. Specifically, PG demonstrated comparable overall survival to TG ( P = 0.47). Subgroup analysis revealed that although not statistically significant, PG showed a potential advantage over TG in overall survival for patients with tumor-long diameters less than 4 cm ( P  = 0.31). However, for those with a long diameter larger than 4 cm, TG had a better survival probability ( P  = 0.81). No substantial differences were observed in baseline characteristics, surgical safety, postoperative recovery, and postoperative complications. CONCLUSION For locally advanced proximal GC with objective response to neoadjuvant therapy (long diameter <4 cm), PG is an alternative surgical procedure.
Humans ; Stomach Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Gastrectomy/methods* ; Neoadjuvant Therapy/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Propensity Score ; Aged ; Adult ; Retrospective Studies

Objective:This study aims to analyze the economic impact of postoperative complications after colorectal cancer surgery.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Patients with a preoperative pathological diagnosis of colorectal cancer who met surgical indications and underwent surgical treatment were included, while those with incomplete hospitalization cost data were excluded. From March 2017 to March 2022, three hundred and ninety-two colorectal cancer patients treated at Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute Gastrointestinal Cancer Center I, were enrolled. Descriptive statistics were performed on the incidence of complications, hospitalization costs, and postoperative length of stay. A cohort was established based on the presence of postoperative complications (POC) and absence of postoperative complications (non-POC) to study economic differences. Propensity score matching analysis was employed to reduce potential confounding factors.Results:Among 392 colorectal cancer patients, 90 (23.0%) developed POC (POC group), while 302 were in the non-POC group. Significant statistical differences were found between the two groups in terms of operation duration, extent of resection, and stoma creation (all P < 0.05); other baseline indicators showed no significant differences (all P>0.05). The median hospitalization cost for patients with postoperative anastomotic leakage was 115 973 yuan, an increase of 38 941 yuan (50.5%) over the non-POC group's 77 059 yuan; the median hospitalization cost for patients with mechanical obstruction was 111 477 yuan, an increase of 34 418 yuan (44.7%) over the non-POC group; and the median hospitalization cost for patients with wound infection was 95 860 yuan, an increase of 18 801 yuan (24.4%) over the non-POC group. The median postoperative length of stay for patients with anastomotic leakage, mechanical obstruction, and wound infection was 22.0 days, 22.0 days, and 18.5 days, respectively, compared to 9.0 days in the non-POC group, extending by 13.0 days, 13.0 days, and 9.5 days. After propensity score matching, each group had 68 patients, and there were no statistically significant differences in preoperative and intraoperative observations between the two groups (all P>0.05); compared to the non-POC group, the hospitali- zation costs in the POC group significantly increased (89 165 yuan vs. 75 437 yuan, P<0.001), and the postoperative length of stay also significantly extended (14.0 days vs. 8.0 days, P<0.001). Conclusions:The occurrence of POC after colorectal cancer surgery significantly increases hospitalization costs and length of stay. This study provides specific and accurate reference data for subsequent health economic decision-making. This is the first detailed economic impact analysis of postoperative complications of colorectal cancer with a large sample size, which includes an economic impact analysis for each POC and subgroup.

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy and prognostic factors of neoadju-vant chemotherapy (NACT) and radical resection on adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction (AEG) and gastric adenocarcinoma (GC).Methods:The propensity score matching and retrospec-tive cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 263 patients with AEG and GC who were admitted to Peking University Cancer Hospital from March 2017 to March 2022 were collected. There were 204 males and 59 females, aged (60±10)years. Of the 263 patients, 81 cases with AEG were set as the AEG group, and 182 cases with GC were set as the GC group. Observation indicators: (1) propensity score matching and comparison of clinicopathological characteristics of patients between the two groups after matching; (2) evaluation of the efficacy of NACT and pathological conditions; (3) intraoperative and postoperative conditions; (4) follow-up; (5) analysis of factors affecting prognosis of patients. Comparison of measurement data with normal distribution between groups was conducted using the independent sample t test. Comparison of measurement data with skewed distribution between groups was conducted using the Mann-Whitney rank sum test. Comparison of count data between groups was conducted using the chi-square test. Comparison of ordinal data between groups was conducted using the nonparametric rank sum test. The Cox proportional hazard model was used for univariate and multivariate analyses. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival rate and draw survival curve. The Log-rank test was used for survival analysis. Propensity score matching was done by the 1:1 nearest neighbor matching method with a caliper value of 0.02. Results:(1) Propensity score matching and comparison of clinicopathological charac-teristics of patients between the two groups after matching. Of 263 patients, 156 cases were succe-ssfully matched, including 78 cases in the AEG group and 78 cases in the GC group. After propensity score matching, the elimination of age and degree of tumor differentiation confounding bias ensured comparability between the two groups. (2) Evaluation of the efficacy of NACT and pathological condi-tions. After propensity score matching, cases with pathological complete response were 2 in the AEG group, versus 9 in the GC group, showing a significant difference between the two groups ( χ2=4.793, P<0.05). (3) Intraoperative and postoperative conditions. After propensity score matching, the operation time of AEG group was 225(200,283)minutes. The resection range (whole stomach, distal stomach, proximal stomach) were 68, 0, 10, respectively. The digestive tract reconstruction methods (Roux-en-Y, Billroth Ⅰ/Ⅱ/Uncut Roux-en-Y, esophageal residual gastric, double channel) were 68, 0, 5, 5, respectively. Duration of postoperative hospital stay was 12(10,16)days. Total hospi-talization expense was (114 400±4 828)yuan. The above indicators of the GC group were 200(174,234)minutes, 22, 55, 1, 21, 56, 0, 1, 10(9,11)days, (98 790±2 549)yuan, respectively. There were significant differences in the above indicators between the two groups ( Z=-3.813, χ2=85.875, 88.487, Z=-4.060, t=2.524, P<0.05). Cases of complication and cases of serious complication were 32 and 9 in the AEG group, versus 22 and 5 in the GC group, showing no significant difference between the two groups ( χ2=2.832, 1.256, P>0.05). (4) Follow-up. All 156 patients after propensity score matching were followed up after surgery, with a follow-up time of 51(range, 3-84)months. Number of death in the AEG group and GC group were 26 and 25 during the follow-up. The postoperative 3-, 5-year overall survival rate were 70.4%, 58.3% in patients of the AEG group, versus 75.7%, 62.6% in patients of the GC group, showing no significant difference in overall survival between the two groups ( χ2=0.141, P>0.05). (5) Analysis of factors affecting prognosis of patients. Results of multivariate analysis showed that NACT, average tumor diameter after NACT, vascular tumor emboli were independent factors affecting prognosis of patients with AEG and GC after NACT and radical resection before propensity score matching ( hazard ratio=1.864, 1.807, 4.551, 95% confidence interval as 1.137-3.056, 1.124-2.903, 2.709-7.645, P<0.05). Conclusions:Compared with patients of GC, patients of AEG have a lower proportion of pathological complete response after NACT, but there is no signifi-cant difference in the incidence of complication and survival of patients with AEG and GC after NACT and radical resection. NACT, average tumor diameter after NACT, vascular tumor emboli are indepen-dent factors affecting prognosis of patients with AEG and GC after NACT and radical resection.

Objective:This study aims to analyze the economic impact of postoperative complications after colorectal cancer surgery.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Patients with a preoperative pathological diagnosis of colorectal cancer who met surgical indications and underwent surgical treatment were included, while those with incomplete hospitalization cost data were excluded. From March 2017 to March 2022, three hundred and ninety-two colorectal cancer patients treated at Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute Gastrointestinal Cancer Center I, were enrolled. Descriptive statistics were performed on the incidence of complications, hospitalization costs, and postoperative length of stay. A cohort was established based on the presence of postoperative complications (POC) and absence of postoperative complications (non-POC) to study economic differences. Propensity score matching analysis was employed to reduce potential confounding factors.Results:Among 392 colorectal cancer patients, 90 (23.0%) developed POC (POC group), while 302 were in the non-POC group. Significant statistical differences were found between the two groups in terms of operation duration, extent of resection, and stoma creation (all P < 0.05); other baseline indicators showed no significant differences (all P>0.05). The median hospitalization cost for patients with postoperative anastomotic leakage was 115 973 yuan, an increase of 38 941 yuan (50.5%) over the non-POC group's 77 059 yuan; the median hospitalization cost for patients with mechanical obstruction was 111 477 yuan, an increase of 34 418 yuan (44.7%) over the non-POC group; and the median hospitalization cost for patients with wound infection was 95 860 yuan, an increase of 18 801 yuan (24.4%) over the non-POC group. The median postoperative length of stay for patients with anastomotic leakage, mechanical obstruction, and wound infection was 22.0 days, 22.0 days, and 18.5 days, respectively, compared to 9.0 days in the non-POC group, extending by 13.0 days, 13.0 days, and 9.5 days. After propensity score matching, each group had 68 patients, and there were no statistically significant differences in preoperative and intraoperative observations between the two groups (all P>0.05); compared to the non-POC group, the hospitali- zation costs in the POC group significantly increased (89 165 yuan vs. 75 437 yuan, P<0.001), and the postoperative length of stay also significantly extended (14.0 days vs. 8.0 days, P<0.001). Conclusions:The occurrence of POC after colorectal cancer surgery significantly increases hospitalization costs and length of stay. This study provides specific and accurate reference data for subsequent health economic decision-making. This is the first detailed economic impact analysis of postoperative complications of colorectal cancer with a large sample size, which includes an economic impact analysis for each POC and subgroup.

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy and prognostic factors of neoadju-vant chemotherapy (NACT) and radical resection on adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction (AEG) and gastric adenocarcinoma (GC).Methods:The propensity score matching and retrospec-tive cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 263 patients with AEG and GC who were admitted to Peking University Cancer Hospital from March 2017 to March 2022 were collected. There were 204 males and 59 females, aged (60±10)years. Of the 263 patients, 81 cases with AEG were set as the AEG group, and 182 cases with GC were set as the GC group. Observation indicators: (1) propensity score matching and comparison of clinicopathological characteristics of patients between the two groups after matching; (2) evaluation of the efficacy of NACT and pathological conditions; (3) intraoperative and postoperative conditions; (4) follow-up; (5) analysis of factors affecting prognosis of patients. Comparison of measurement data with normal distribution between groups was conducted using the independent sample t test. Comparison of measurement data with skewed distribution between groups was conducted using the Mann-Whitney rank sum test. Comparison of count data between groups was conducted using the chi-square test. Comparison of ordinal data between groups was conducted using the nonparametric rank sum test. The Cox proportional hazard model was used for univariate and multivariate analyses. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival rate and draw survival curve. The Log-rank test was used for survival analysis. Propensity score matching was done by the 1:1 nearest neighbor matching method with a caliper value of 0.02. Results:(1) Propensity score matching and comparison of clinicopathological charac-teristics of patients between the two groups after matching. Of 263 patients, 156 cases were succe-ssfully matched, including 78 cases in the AEG group and 78 cases in the GC group. After propensity score matching, the elimination of age and degree of tumor differentiation confounding bias ensured comparability between the two groups. (2) Evaluation of the efficacy of NACT and pathological condi-tions. After propensity score matching, cases with pathological complete response were 2 in the AEG group, versus 9 in the GC group, showing a significant difference between the two groups ( χ2=4.793, P<0.05). (3) Intraoperative and postoperative conditions. After propensity score matching, the operation time of AEG group was 225(200,283)minutes. The resection range (whole stomach, distal stomach, proximal stomach) were 68, 0, 10, respectively. The digestive tract reconstruction methods (Roux-en-Y, Billroth Ⅰ/Ⅱ/Uncut Roux-en-Y, esophageal residual gastric, double channel) were 68, 0, 5, 5, respectively. Duration of postoperative hospital stay was 12(10,16)days. Total hospi-talization expense was (114 400±4 828)yuan. The above indicators of the GC group were 200(174,234)minutes, 22, 55, 1, 21, 56, 0, 1, 10(9,11)days, (98 790±2 549)yuan, respectively. There were significant differences in the above indicators between the two groups ( Z=-3.813, χ2=85.875, 88.487, Z=-4.060, t=2.524, P<0.05). Cases of complication and cases of serious complication were 32 and 9 in the AEG group, versus 22 and 5 in the GC group, showing no significant difference between the two groups ( χ2=2.832, 1.256, P>0.05). (4) Follow-up. All 156 patients after propensity score matching were followed up after surgery, with a follow-up time of 51(range, 3-84)months. Number of death in the AEG group and GC group were 26 and 25 during the follow-up. The postoperative 3-, 5-year overall survival rate were 70.4%, 58.3% in patients of the AEG group, versus 75.7%, 62.6% in patients of the GC group, showing no significant difference in overall survival between the two groups ( χ2=0.141, P>0.05). (5) Analysis of factors affecting prognosis of patients. Results of multivariate analysis showed that NACT, average tumor diameter after NACT, vascular tumor emboli were independent factors affecting prognosis of patients with AEG and GC after NACT and radical resection before propensity score matching ( hazard ratio=1.864, 1.807, 4.551, 95% confidence interval as 1.137-3.056, 1.124-2.903, 2.709-7.645, P<0.05). Conclusions:Compared with patients of GC, patients of AEG have a lower proportion of pathological complete response after NACT, but there is no signifi-cant difference in the incidence of complication and survival of patients with AEG and GC after NACT and radical resection. NACT, average tumor diameter after NACT, vascular tumor emboli are indepen-dent factors affecting prognosis of patients with AEG and GC after NACT and radical resection.

Objective:To investigate the incidence of postoperative complications in Chinese patients with gastric or colorectal cancer, and to evaluate the risk factors for postoperative complications.Methods:This was a national, multicenter, prospective, registry-based, cohort study of data obtained from the database of the Prevalence of Abdominal Complications After Gastro- enterological Surgery (PACAGE) study sponsored by the China Gastrointestinal Cancer Surgical Union. The PACAGE database prospectively collected general demographic characteristics, protocols for perioperative treatment, and variables associated with postoperative complications in patients treated for gastric or colorectal cancer in 20 medical centers from December 2018 to December 2020. The patients were grouped according to the presence or absence of postoperative complications. Postoperative complications were categorized and graded in accordance with the expert consensus on postoperative complications in gastrointestinal oncology surgery and Clavien-Dindo grading criteria. The incidence of postoperative complications of different grades are presented as bar charts. Independent risk factors for occurrence of postoperative complications were identified by multifactorial unconditional logistic regression.Results:The study cohort comprised 3926 patients with gastric or colorectal cancer, 657 (16.7%) of whom had a total of 876 postoperative complications. Serious complications (Grade III and above) occurred in 4.0% of patients (156/3926). The rate of Grade V complications was 0.2% (7/3926). The cohort included 2271 patients with gastric cancer with a postoperative complication rate of 18.1% (412/2271) and serious complication rate of 4.7% (106/2271); and 1655 with colorectal cancer, with a postoperative complication rate of 14.8% (245/1655) and serious complication rate of 3.0% (50/1655). The incidences of anastomotic leakage in patients with gastric and colorectal cancer were 3.3% (74/2271) and 3.4% (56/1655), respectively. Abdominal infection was the most frequently occurring complication, accounting for 28.7% (164/572) and 39.5% (120/304) of postoperative complications in patients with gastric and colorectal cancer, respectively. The most frequently occurring grade of postoperative complication was Grade II, accounting for 65.4% (374/572) and 56.6% (172/304) of complications in patients with gastric and colorectal cancers, respectively. Multifactorial analysis identified (1) the following independent risk factors for postoperative complications in patients in the gastric cancer group: preoperative comorbidities (OR=2.54, 95%CI: 1.51-4.28, P<0.001), neoadjuvant therapy (OR=1.42, 95%CI:1.06-1.89, P=0.020), high American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scores (ASA score 2 points:OR=1.60, 95% CI: 1.23-2.07, P<0.001, ASA score ≥3 points:OR=0.43, 95% CI: 0.25-0.73, P=0.002), operative time >180 minutes (OR=1.81, 95% CI: 1.42-2.31, P<0.001), intraoperative bleeding >50 mL (OR=1.29,95%CI: 1.01-1.63, P=0.038), and distal gastrectomy compared with total gastrectomy (OR=0.65,95%CI: 0.51-0.83, P<0.001); and (2) the following independent risk factors for postoperative complications in patients in the colorectal cancer group: female (OR=0.60, 95%CI: 0.44-0.80, P<0.001), preoperative comorbidities (OR=2.73, 95%CI: 1.25-5.99, P=0.030), neoadjuvant therapy (OR=1.83, 95%CI:1.23-2.72, P=0.008), laparoscopic surgery (OR=0.47, 95%CI: 0.30-0.72, P=0.022), and abdominoperineal resection compared with low anterior resection (OR=2.74, 95%CI: 1.71-4.41, P<0.001). Conclusion:Postoperative complications associated with various types of infection were the most frequent complications in patients with gastric or colorectal cancer. Although the risk factors for postoperative complications differed between patients with gastric cancer and those with colorectal cancer, the presence of preoperative comorbidities, administration of neoadjuvant therapy, and extent of surgical resection, were the commonest factors associated with postoperative complications in patients of both categories.

Gastric cancer ranks as the third most prevalent malignant tumor in our nation, imposing a substantial health and economic burden. The occurrence of postoperative complications in gastric cancer not only hinders patient recovery but also significantly increases the medical expenditures of patients, contributing supplementary health economic challenges to both society and healthcare institutions. Conducting health economic analysis on postoperative complications in gastric cancer provides evidence for the formulation of health policies, offers guidance for hospital cost control, and furnishes economic insights for the development of new technologies in the prevention and treatment of complications. This paper, through a thorough review of domestic and international literature, comprehensively examines the impact of complication severity on healthcare expenses, delineates the principal contributors to healthcare costs in patients with postoperative complications, and proposes practical strategies to alleviate the health economic burden resulting from such complications. Furthermore, this study delves into and analyzes the health economic considerations associated with postoperative complications within the framework of the Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) billing model.

Objective:To explore the risk factors for postoperative adverse events in older persons with gastrointestinal malignancies and thus provide reference for selection of surgery and evaluation of such patients.Methods:An observational study design was employed, the study cohort comprising patients aged 65 years and over with gastrointestinal malignancies who underwent elective surgery in Peking University Cancer Hospital from 2008 to 2022. In this study, we compared the clinical characteristics (disease type, tumor stage), surgical safety (combined organ resection, operation duration, comorbidities), and treatment outcomes (postoperative complications, unplanned reoperation, and perioperative mortality) of these patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify risk factors associated with adverse outcomes.Results:The study cohort comprised 10,135 patients, of whom 74.7% (7,568) were 65–75 years old (excluding 75 years old), 23.6% (2,391) 75–85 years old (excluding 85 years old), and 1.7% (176) ≥85 years old. The type of cancer was colorectal in 63.4% (6,427 patients) and gastric in 36.6% (3,708); 62.0% (6,284/10,135)of the patients had stage II or III disease. The proportion of stage III and stage IV tumors was higher in patients aged over 85 years (47.4% [73/154) and 11.0% [17/154]), respectively, than in those aged 75–85 years (41.6% [854/2 051) and 8.2% [168/2 051]), respectively, and those aged 65–75 years (40.1% [2,576/6,431) and 10.9% [700/6,431]); these differences are statistically significant (χ 2=27.95, P<0.01). Comorbidity was present in 50.6% (5,128/10,135) of the whole study cohort, comprising 58.0% (102/176) of those aged over 85 years, this being significantly higher than the 56.3% (1,346/2,391) in those aged 75–85 years and 48.6% (3,678/7,568) of those aged 65–75 years. The main comorbidities were hypertension (37.3%), diabetes (16.4%), and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (14.0%). Minimally invasive surgery was performed on 36.9% (3,740/10,135) of the whole study cohort, the 38.4% in 65–75 years old patients being significantly higher than the 32.5% in those aged 75–85 years and the 29.0% in those aged over 85 years; these differences are statistically significant (χ 2=31.97, P<0.01). Preoperative neoadjuvant therapy was administered to 9.1% (924/10,135) of the whole study cohort, the proportion of patients receiving preoperative neoadjuvant therapy being significantly higher in those aged 65–75 years (11.1%) than in those aged 75–85 years (3.4%) and over 85 years (0.6%); these differences are statistically significant (χ 2=148.98, P<0.01). Combined organ resection was performed in 4.9% (496/10,135) of the whole study cohort, the proportion undergoing combined organ resection being significantly lower in those aged over 85 years (2.3%) than in those aged 65–75 years (5.3%) and 75–85 years (3.8%); these differences are statistically significant (χ 2=11.20, P<0.01). The mean operating time was (182.2±76.8) minutes, being significantly higher in those aged 65–75 years (186.6±78.3 minutes) than in those aged 75–85 years (169.4±71.3 minutes) and over 85 years (153.2±53.7 minutes); these differences are statistically significant ( F=46.85, P<0.01). The overall incidence of postoperative complications was 10.9% (802/7,384); the incidence did not differ significantly between the three groups ( P>0.05). The incidence of unplanned reoperation was 1.9% (193/10,135) and of death during hospitalization 0.3% (32/10,135). The perioperative mortality in the three groups was 1.1%, 0.5% and 0.2% in those aged over 85, 75–85, and 65–75 years, respectively. These differences are statistically significant (χ 2=9.71, P<0.01). Among the patients with postoperative complications, 15.0% (120/802) underwent unplanned reoperation, which had a perioperative mortality of 1.0% (8/802), these rates being significantly higher than those for unplanned reoperation (1.1%, 73/6,582) and perioperative mortality (0.4%, 24/6,582) in patients without complications (all P<0.01). The median length of hospital stay was 11 days in patients aged over 85 years; this is significantly longer than the 9 days in those aged 65–75 years and 10 days in those aged 75–85 years (H=37.00, P<0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that tumor stage IV (OR=1.56, 95%CI: 1.24–1.96, P<0.01), comorbidities (OR=1.26, 95%CI: 1.08–1.47, P<0.01), open surgery (OR=1.33, 95%CI: 1.13–1.56, P<0.01), and operation time >180 minutes (OR=1.82, 95%CI:1.53–2.15, P<0.01) were risk factors for adverse outcomes. Conclusion:Older patients with gastrointestinal tumors who have comorbidities and stage IV disease and undergo open surgery with a longer operation time are at higher risk of adverse outcomes than patients without these characteristics.

Objective:To investigate the incidence of postoperative complications in Chinese patients with gastric or colorectal cancer, and to evaluate the risk factors for postoperative complications.Methods:This was a national, multicenter, prospective, registry-based, cohort study of data obtained from the database of the Prevalence of Abdominal Complications After Gastro- enterological Surgery (PACAGE) study sponsored by the China Gastrointestinal Cancer Surgical Union. The PACAGE database prospectively collected general demographic characteristics, protocols for perioperative treatment, and variables associated with postoperative complications in patients treated for gastric or colorectal cancer in 20 medical centers from December 2018 to December 2020. The patients were grouped according to the presence or absence of postoperative complications. Postoperative complications were categorized and graded in accordance with the expert consensus on postoperative complications in gastrointestinal oncology surgery and Clavien-Dindo grading criteria. The incidence of postoperative complications of different grades are presented as bar charts. Independent risk factors for occurrence of postoperative complications were identified by multifactorial unconditional logistic regression.Results:The study cohort comprised 3926 patients with gastric or colorectal cancer, 657 (16.7%) of whom had a total of 876 postoperative complications. Serious complications (Grade III and above) occurred in 4.0% of patients (156/3926). The rate of Grade V complications was 0.2% (7/3926). The cohort included 2271 patients with gastric cancer with a postoperative complication rate of 18.1% (412/2271) and serious complication rate of 4.7% (106/2271); and 1655 with colorectal cancer, with a postoperative complication rate of 14.8% (245/1655) and serious complication rate of 3.0% (50/1655). The incidences of anastomotic leakage in patients with gastric and colorectal cancer were 3.3% (74/2271) and 3.4% (56/1655), respectively. Abdominal infection was the most frequently occurring complication, accounting for 28.7% (164/572) and 39.5% (120/304) of postoperative complications in patients with gastric and colorectal cancer, respectively. The most frequently occurring grade of postoperative complication was Grade II, accounting for 65.4% (374/572) and 56.6% (172/304) of complications in patients with gastric and colorectal cancers, respectively. Multifactorial analysis identified (1) the following independent risk factors for postoperative complications in patients in the gastric cancer group: preoperative comorbidities (OR=2.54, 95%CI: 1.51-4.28, P<0.001), neoadjuvant therapy (OR=1.42, 95%CI:1.06-1.89, P=0.020), high American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scores (ASA score 2 points:OR=1.60, 95% CI: 1.23-2.07, P<0.001, ASA score ≥3 points:OR=0.43, 95% CI: 0.25-0.73, P=0.002), operative time >180 minutes (OR=1.81, 95% CI: 1.42-2.31, P<0.001), intraoperative bleeding >50 mL (OR=1.29,95%CI: 1.01-1.63, P=0.038), and distal gastrectomy compared with total gastrectomy (OR=0.65,95%CI: 0.51-0.83, P<0.001); and (2) the following independent risk factors for postoperative complications in patients in the colorectal cancer group: female (OR=0.60, 95%CI: 0.44-0.80, P<0.001), preoperative comorbidities (OR=2.73, 95%CI: 1.25-5.99, P=0.030), neoadjuvant therapy (OR=1.83, 95%CI:1.23-2.72, P=0.008), laparoscopic surgery (OR=0.47, 95%CI: 0.30-0.72, P=0.022), and abdominoperineal resection compared with low anterior resection (OR=2.74, 95%CI: 1.71-4.41, P<0.001). Conclusion:Postoperative complications associated with various types of infection were the most frequent complications in patients with gastric or colorectal cancer. Although the risk factors for postoperative complications differed between patients with gastric cancer and those with colorectal cancer, the presence of preoperative comorbidities, administration of neoadjuvant therapy, and extent of surgical resection, were the commonest factors associated with postoperative complications in patients of both categories.

Gastric cancer ranks as the third most prevalent malignant tumor in our nation, imposing a substantial health and economic burden. The occurrence of postoperative complications in gastric cancer not only hinders patient recovery but also significantly increases the medical expenditures of patients, contributing supplementary health economic challenges to both society and healthcare institutions. Conducting health economic analysis on postoperative complications in gastric cancer provides evidence for the formulation of health policies, offers guidance for hospital cost control, and furnishes economic insights for the development of new technologies in the prevention and treatment of complications. This paper, through a thorough review of domestic and international literature, comprehensively examines the impact of complication severity on healthcare expenses, delineates the principal contributors to healthcare costs in patients with postoperative complications, and proposes practical strategies to alleviate the health economic burden resulting from such complications. Furthermore, this study delves into and analyzes the health economic considerations associated with postoperative complications within the framework of the Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) billing model.