Gastric Cancer Surgical Experience from a single expert Western center: case series results

Abstract

Background Surgical treatment plays a key role in the cure of gastric cancer. Our aim was to analyzed changes both in outcomes and in the epidemiology, over a time period of 15 years.Methods410 patients operated between January 2004 and December 2018 were enrolled. Patients were subdivided into 3 groups. The entire cohort was evaluated, and a more detailed analysys was made in patients that underwent a curative surgery. Survival outcomes and oncological surgical outcomes have been described and correlated with Overall Survival. Results Results showed an increase trend in gastric cancer operation over the time period analyzed ( p< 0.05).Overall and disease free survival did not vary in the different time periods. In patients treated with the intent to cure: 5- and 10-Year survivals were respectively: 44% and 34.7%; 5- and 10 years disease free survival were 50.7 and 49.4%. Type of lymphadenectomy and number of lymphondal harvested changed significantly over the time (p < 0.05). Conclusions Gastric surgery must be done in an experienced center to obtain oncological outcomes; in selected cases an extended lymphadenectomy could give survival benefit to patients with locally advanced gastric cancer.