title: Major postoperative complications are associated with impaired long-term survival after gastro-esophageal and pancreatic cancer surgery: a complete national cohort study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Some studies have reported an association between complications and impaired long-term survival after cancer surgery. We aimed to investigate how major complications are associated with overall survival after gastro-esophageal and pancreatic cancer surgery in a complete national cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  All esophageal-, gastric- and pancreatic resections performed for cancer in Norway between January 1, 2008, and December 1, 2013 were identified in the Norwegian Patient Registry together with data concerning major postoperative complications and survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When emergency cases were excluded, there were 1965 esophageal-, gastric- or pancreatic resections performed for cancer in Norway between 1 January 2008, and 1 December 2013. A total of 248 patients (12.6 %) suffered major postoperative complications. Complications were associated both with increased early (90 days) mortality (OR = 4.25, 95 % CI = 2.78-6.50), and reduced overall survival when patients suffering early mortality were excluded (HR = 1.23, 95 % CI = 1.01-1.50).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Major postoperative complications are associated with impaired long-term survival after gastro-esophageal and pancreatic cancer surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of GI and HPB surgery, University Hospital of Northern Norway, 9038 Breivika, Tromsø, Norway. eirik.kjus.aahlin@unn.no.|Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Tromsø - The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway. eirik.kjus.aahlin@unn.no.
authors.forename: Eirik Kjus
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Aahlin
authors.affiliation: Centre of Clinical Documentation and Evaluation, Northern Norway Regional Health Authority, Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.affiliation: Centre of Clinical Documentation and Evaluation, Northern Norway Regional Health Authority, Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Bård
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Uleberg
authors.affiliation: Centre of Clinical Documentation and Evaluation, Northern Norway Regional Health Authority, Tromsø, Norway.|Department of Community Medicine, University of Tromsø - The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Bjarne K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Jacobsen
authors.affiliation: Department of GI and HPB surgery, University Hospital of Northern Norway, 9038 Breivika, Tromsø, Norway.|Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Tromsø - The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Kristoffer
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lassen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D010180:Pancreatectomy; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*
keywords: Neoplasms; Postoperative complications; Surgery