title: Clinical Significance of Splenic Hilar Dissection with Splenectomy in Advanced Proximal Gastric Cancer: An Analysis at a Single Institution in Japan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Significance of splenic hilar node dissection with splenectomy is now denied for advanced gastric cancer of upper one-third of the stomach without invasion to the greater curvature by the Japan Clinical Oncology Group 0110, a pivotal randomized study from Japan. However, a question remains for tumors which involve the greater curvature, as this study excluded such tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed 421 consecutive patients with gastric cancer who underwent curative total gastrectomy with splenectomy from 1992 to 2009. The survival curves, state of lymph node (LN) metastasis, and index of the estimated benefit from LN dissection of each station were evaluated according to the tumor location.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of No. 10 metastasis was 9.3 % (39/421), with 15.9 % in patients with tumors involving the greater curvature (Gre group, n = 132) and 6.2 % in those without (non-Gre group, n = 289) (P = 0.032). The 5-year overall survival (OS) of patients with and without No. 10 metastasis was 35.4 and 43.1 % (P = 0.135) in the Gre group and 32.8 and 66.5 % (P = 0.0006) in the non-Gre group, respectively. The index of No. 10 LN dissection was 5.6 and 2.0 in the Gre and non-Gre groups, respectively. In the Gre group, the index was relatively higher in patients aged < 65 years, within pT3, and with Borrmann type 4 tumors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Splenectomy may have a survival benefit when a tumor shows involvement with the greater curvature, especially in relatively young patients and those without serosal exposure.
authors.affiliation: Gastric Surgery Division, National Cancer Center Hospital East, 6-5-1 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8577, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Gastric Surgery Division, National Cancer Center Hospital East, 6-5-1 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8577, Japan. takkinos@east.ncc.go.jp.
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.affiliation: Gastric Surgery Division, National Cancer Center Hospital East, 6-5-1 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8577, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Enomoto
authors.affiliation: Gastric Surgery Division, National Cancer Center Hospital East, 6-5-1 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8577, Japan.
authors.forename: Hidehito
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shibasaki
authors.affiliation: Gastric Surgery Division, National Cancer Center Hospital East, 6-5-1 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8577, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshirou
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishida
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013156:Splenectomy / Q000401:mortality; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016019:Survival Analysis