title: Long-term outcomes and survival after laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer: three-year survival analysis of a single-center experience in Korea.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) has been established as an alternative treatment for early gastric cancer (EGC) because of excellent short-term results. However, only a few reports have considered the long-term outcomes of LADG. In this study, we investigated the 3-year outcome and survival of patients who underwent LADG.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed 182 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma who underwent LADG. The indication for LADG was confined to EGCs (T1N0 or T1N1 cases). The clinicopathological characteristics and long-term survival data of all patients were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall morbidity and mortality rates of the patients were 11% and 0%, respectively. An analysis of the final pathological stages of the patients revealed that 160 had stage Ia, 20 had stage Ib, and only 2 had stage II. The median follow-up period was 44 months (range, 2-73 months), and there were two recurrences. Five patients died of other causes, but no patients died of a gastric cancer recurrence. The 3-year overall and disease-specific survival rates were 97.3% and 100%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LADG for EGC is acceptable in terms of both short- and long-term outcomes. Thus, LADG can be considered a primary treatment for EGC.
authors: Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Han Mo
authors: HM
authors: Yoo
authors: Han Hong
authors: HH
authors: Lee
authors: Jung Ho
authors: JH
authors: Shim
authors: Hae Myung
authors: HM
authors: Jeon
authors: Cho Hyun
authors: CH
authors: Park
authors: Jun Gi
authors: JG
authors: Kim
authors: Kyo Young
authors: KY
authors: Song