Treatment results for gastric cancer surgery: 12 years' experience at a single institute in Korea.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the changing trends of clinicopathologic features, surgical procedures and treatment outcomes of gastric cancer in a large-volume center.


METHODS
We divided the time period into two parts: the first is 1989-1996 (period I) and the second is 1997-2001 (period II). Then we analyzed prospectively collected data on 1816 patients treated at Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, from 1989 to 2001.


RESULTS
Upper one-third cancer was seen more prevalently in period II than period I (9.4% versus 6.6%) (p=0.000) and total gastrectomy was performed more frequently in period II than period I (25% versus 18%) (p=0.000). A diagnosis of early gastric cancer was made more prevalently in period II than period I (40% versus 27%) (p=0.000). D2 lymphadenectomy was done in 74% of the period I patients and 83% of their period II counterparts (p=0.000). Between the two periods, there was a significant difference in the incidence of operation-related major complications (9.9% in period I versus 3.9% in period II) (p=0.000) and the mortality (1.8% versus 0.6%) (p=0.023). The overall 5-year and 10-year survival rates were significantly higher in period II than period I (63% and 57% in period I versus 69% and 64% in period II) (p=0.009).


CONCLUSIONS
The overall survival of gastric cancer significantly increased because of the early detection and aggressive surgical approaches by experienced surgeons in a large-volume center. More effective multidisciplinary approaches are warranted to improve the prognosis of advanced gastric cancer.
Park
C H
CH
Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, 505 Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, South Korea. chpark@catholic.ac.kr
Song
K Y
KY
Kim
S N
SN
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome