Lymph node involvement in gastric cancer for different tumor sites and T stage: Italian Research Group for Gastric Cancer (IRGGC) experience

Surgical Techniques and Related Perioperative Outcomes After Robot-assisted Minimally Invasive Gastrectomy (RAMIG): Results From the Prospective Multicenter International Ugira Gastric Registry

OBJECTIVE

To gain insight into the global practice of robot-assisted minimally invasive gastrectomy (RAMIG) and evaluate perioperative outcomes using an international registry.

BACKGROUND

The techniques and perioperative outcomes of RAMIG for gastric cancer vary substantially in the literature.

METHODS

Prospectively registered RAMIG cases for gastric cancer (≥10 per center) were extracted from 25 centers in Europe, Asia, and South-America. Techniques for resection, reconstruction, anastomosis, and lymphadenectomy were analyzed and related to perioperative surgical and oncological outcomes. Complications were uniformly defined by the Gastrectomy Complications Consensus Group.

RESULTS

Between 2020 and 2023, 759 patients underwent total (n=272), distal (n=465), or proximal (n=22) gastrectomy (RAMIG). After total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y-reconstruction, anastomotic leakage rates were 8% with hand-sewn (n=9/111) and 6% with linear stapled anastomoses (n=6/100). After distal gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y (67%) or Billroth-II-reconstruction (31%), anastomotic leakage rates were 3% with linear stapled (n=11/433) and 0% with hand-sewn anastomoses (n=0/26). Extent of lymphadenectomy consisted of D1+ (28%), D2 (59%), or D2+ (12%). Median nodal harvest yielded 31 nodes (interquartile range: 21-47) after total and 34 nodes (interquartile range: 24-47) after distal gastrectomy. R0 resection rates were 93% after total and 96% distal gastrectomy. The hospital stay was 9 days after total and distal gastrectomy, and was median 3 days shorter without perianastomotic drains versus routine drain placement. Postoperative 30-day mortality was 1%.

CONCLUSIONS

This large multicenter study provided a worldwide overview of current RAMIG techniques and their respective perioperative outcomes. These outcomes demonstrated high surgical quality, set a quality standard for RAMIG, and can be considered an international reference for surgical standardization.

Laparoscopic Dissection of Lymph Node Station 16-Why and How?

BACKGROUND

Dissection of para-aortic lymph nodes (Station 16) provides an important prognosticator for patients with gastrointestinal, colorectal, and hepatobiliary cancers.1-4 For example, a positive Station 16 lymph node has been shown to lead to 2-year survival of 3% in patients with pancreas adenocarcinoma, akin to stage IV disease.5,6 Thereby, Station 16 involvement can help with the risk/benefit stratification of the decision to move forward with radical surgery.7-9 Furthermore, it has been shown for gallbladder cancer that involvement of Station 16 cannot necessarily be predicted from the dissection of the hepatoduodenal ligament lymph nodes only.10,11 TECHNIQUE: With the patient in the French position, a complete Kocherization and a Cattel-Braasch maneuver is performed, allowing for visualization of LN station 16b. Station 16b is the inferior border of the station 16 compartment. The left renal vein (LRV) serves as an important landmark to identify the superior border of the dissection comprised by Stations 16a2 and 16b1. Station 16a2 dissection may be associated with a traction injury of the left renal vein or damage of right renal or suprarenal arteries and is dissected if there are specific concerns regarding involvement.

CONCLUSIONS

While station 16 provides important prognostic information for risk stratification, a strategic and stepwise approach is needed for a safe sampling. This is accomplished by wide mobilization of the duodenum, implementation of thermal fusion to minimize chyle leak, and careful dissection below the left renal vein.

Surgical quality and prospective quality control of the D2-gastrectomy for gastric cancer in the multicenter randomized LOGICA-trial

BACKGROUND

Quality of gastric cancer surgery is crucial for favorable prognosis. Generally, prospective trials lack quality control measures. This study assessed surgical quality and a novel D2-lymphadenectomy photo-scoring in the LOGICA-trial.

METHODS

The multicenter LOGICA-trial randomized laparoscopic versus open total/distal D2-gastrectomy for resectable gastric cancer (cT1-4aN0-3M0) in 10 Dutch hospitals. During the trial, two reviewers prospectively analyzed intraoperative photographs of dissected nodal stations for quality control, and provided centers weekly feedback on their D2-lymphadenectomy, as continuous quality-enhancing incentive. After the trial, these photographs were reanalyzed to develop a photo-scoring for future trials, rating the D2-lymphadenectomy dissection quality (optimal-good-suboptimal-unevaluable). Interobserver variability was calculated (weighted kappa). Regression analyses related the photo-scoring to nodal yield, recurrence and 5-years survival.

RESULTS

Between 2015 and 2018, 212 patients underwent total/distal D2-gastrectomy (n = 122/n = 90), and 158 (75%) received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. R0-resection rate was 95%. Rate of ≥15 retrieved lymph nodes was 95%. Moderate agreement was obtained in stations 8 + 9 (κ = 0.522), 11p/11d (κ = 0.446) and 12a (κ = 0.441). Consensus was reached for discordant cases (30%). Stations 8 + 9, 11p/11d and 12a were rated 'optimal' in 76%, 63% and 68%. Laparoscopic photographs could be rated better than open (2% versus 12% 'unevaluable'; 73% versus 50% 'optimal'; p = 0.042). The photo-scoring did not show associations with nodal yield (p = 0.214), recurrence (p = 0.406) and survival (p = 0.988).

CONCLUSIONS

High radicality and nodal yield demonstrated good quality of D2-gastrectomy. The prospective quality control probably contributed to this. The photo-scoring did not show good performance, but can be refined. Laparoscopic D2-gastrectomy was better suited for standardized surgical photo-evaluation than open surgery.

Role of radiomics in predicting lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer: a systematic review

Introduction

Gastric cancer (GC) is an aggressive and clinically heterogeneous tumor, and better risk stratification of lymph node metastasis (LNM) could lead to personalized treatments. The role of radiomics in the prediction of nodal involvement in GC has not yet been systematically assessed. This study aims to assess the role of radiomics in the prediction of LNM in GC.

Methods

A PubMed/MEDLINE systematic review was conducted to assess the role of radiomics in LNM. The inclusion criteria were as follows: i. original articles, ii. articles on radiomics, and iii. articles on LNM prediction in GC. All articles were selected and analyzed by a multidisciplinary board of two radiation oncologists and one surgeon, under the supervision of one radiation oncologist, one surgeon, and one medical oncologist.

Results

A total of 171 studies were obtained using the search strategy mentioned on PubMed. After the complete selection process, a total of 20 papers were considered eligible for the analysis of the results. Radiomics methods were applied in GC to assess the LNM risk. The number of patients, imaging modalities, type of predictive models, number of radiomics features, TRIPOD classification, and performances of the models were reported.

Conclusions

Radiomics seems to be a promising approach for evaluating the risk of LNM in GC. Further and larger studies are required to evaluate the clinical impact of the inclusion of radiomics in a comprehensive decision support system (DSS) for GC.

Regional Lymph Node Metastasis Distribution in Resectable Middle-Third Gastric Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction Lymph node (LN) metastasis happens even in early gastric cancer (GC) even in LN stations that are not adjacent to the primary tumor. Total or subtotal gastrectomy (TG or sTG) can be performed in the middle third of the GC if the negative proximal margin is maintained. These procedures differed in the extent of LN dissection; therefore, oncology considerations must be taken into consideration when selecting the appropriate procedure. Methods This was a cross-sectional study involving 98 patients suffering from middle-third GC. The metastatic lymph nodes (mLN) ratio was calculated in each case by the ratio between the number of mLN and the number of total LNs retrieved. We compare the difference in the total LN retrieved, number of mLN, and rate of positive LN (N+) between the two groups TG and sTG. Results The majority of patients had advanced GC (82.7% pT2-4). About 65.3% of patients had metastasis LN. The events of LN metastasis and skipped LN metastasis happened even in tumors contained in the submucosal layer. The metastasis rates in each LN station were also increasing in correlation with the depth of tumor invasion. For LN station No. 2, 4sa, 10, 11d (which are not mandatory) in sTG, the rate of mLN was 0% for the pT1-3 tumor, regardless of tumor longitudinal location. The rate of mLN for each station was higher in adjacent stations of the tumor (No. 1-3-5-7 in lesser curvature, No. 4sb-4d-6 in greater curvature, No.1-3-4sb in the anterior wall, No. 3-7-12a in the posterior wall). The total LN retrieved, number of mLN, and rate of positive LN were statistically higher in the TG group compared to the sTG group. However, the mean mLN ratios between the two groups were comparable (p = 0.116). Conclusion In accordance with the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics, we observed a stratified distribution of mLN in the middle third of the GC. With these early results, sTG combined with standard lymphadenectomy was an acceptable treatment for T1-T3 middle-third GC in terms of mLN distribution. Total No. 4sb LN dissection might also be reserved in gastrectomy for T1-T3 GC.

Pattern of Distribution of Lymph Node Metastases in Individual Stations in Middle and Lower Gastric Carcinoma

(1) Background: Lymph node (LN) dissection is the cornerstone of curative treatment of GC. The pattern of distribution of LN metastases is closely related to several factors. The aim of this study is to evaluate the factors determining the distribution of nodal metastases in a population of N+ distal GC patients undergoing gastrectomy and D2 lymphadenectomy. (2) Methods: The medical charts of 162 N+ GC patients who underwent surgical resection over a 15-year period were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical, pathological and anatomical characteristics were evaluated to identify the factors affecting the patterns and prevalence of metastases in individual LN stations. (3) Results: LN metastasis is correlated with the depth of the tumor and to diffuse-type tumors. A higher number of metastatic nodes was documented in patients with middle-third tumors (8.2 ± 7.3 vs. 4.5 ± 5.0 in lower-third tumors, p = 0.0001) and in patients with tumors located on the lesser curve. Station 4 showed the highest rate of metastases (53.1%). Concerning stations 7 to 12, station 8 showed the highest metastasis rate (28.4%). Metastases at stations 1, 2, 4 and 7 to 11 were dominant in middle-third cancer, whereas stations 5 and 6 were dominant in lower-third cancers. Station 4, 5, 6, 10 and 11 metastases were dominant when the cancer was located on the greater curve, whereas stations 1, 2, 7, 8 and 12 were dominant in lesser-curve cancers. (4) Conclusions: The study documented that in patients with distal GC, the distribution of nodal metastases at individual stations is closely related to primary tumor location.

Extended Lymphadenectomy for Gastric Cancer in the Neoadjuvant Era: Current Status, Clinical Implications and Contentious Issues

Despite its decreasing incidence, gastric cancer remains an important global healthcare problem due to its overall high prevalence and high mortality rate. Since the MAGIC and FNLCC/FFCD trials, the neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been recommended throughout Europe in gastric cancer. Potential benefits of preoperative treatments include a higher rate of R0 resection achieved by downstaging the primary tumor, a likely effect on micrometastases and isolated tumor cells in the lymph nodes, and, as a result, improved cancer-related survival. Nevertheless, distortion of anatomical planes of dissection, interstitial fibrosis, and sclerotic tissue changes may increase surgical difficulty. The collection of at least twenty-five lymph nodes after neoadjuvant therapy would seem to ensure removal of undetectable node metastasis and reduce the likelihood of locoregional recurrence. It is not what you take but what you leave behind that defines survival. Therefore, para-aortic lymph node dissection is safe and effective after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, in both therapeutic and prophylactic settings. In this review, the efficacy of adequate lymph node dissection, also in a neoadjuvant setting, has been investigated in the key studies conducted to date on the topic.

Role of prophylactic HIPEC in non-metastatic, serosa-invasive gastric cancer: a literature review

The role of prophylactic hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (p-HIPEC) in serosa invasive gastric cancers without gross or microscopic peritoneal disease, to reduce the rate of peritoneal relapse is an area of ongoing research. Although p-HIPEC is effective in reducing the rate of peritoneal relapse and improving disease free and overall survival with or without adjuvant chemotherapy, when added to curative surgery in locally advanced, non-metastatic gastric cancers, the available literature is at best, heterogeneous, centre-specific and skewed. Apart from that, variations in the systemic therapy used, and the presence of the associated nodal disease further complicate this picture. To evaluate the role of p-HIPEC the PubMed, Cochrane central register of clinical trials, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting library were searched with the search terms, “gastric”, “cancer”, “hyperthermic”, “intraperitoneal”, “chemotherapy”, prophylactic”, “HIPEC” in various combinations, and a critical review of the available evidence was done. Although p-HIPEC is a promising therapy in the management of locally advanced gastric cancers, the current evidence is insufficient to recommend its inclusion into routine clinical practice. Future research should be directed towards identification of the appropriate patient subset and towards redefining its role with current peri-operative systemic therapies.

Risk Factors to Predict Ocular Metastasis in Older Adult Patients With Gastric Cancer:LDL, ApoA1, and CA724

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the risk factors for Ocular metastasis (OM) of Gastric cancer (GC). Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study. A total of 1165 patients with GC were enrolled in this study and divided into OM and non-ocular metastasis (NOM) groups. Chi-square and independent samples t tests were used to determine whether differences in demographic characteristics and serological indicators (SI) between the two groups were significant. In addition, binary logistic regression was used to analyze the value of various SI as risk factors for OM in patients with GC. The statistical threshold was set as P < .05. Finally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to assess the diagnostic value of various SI in differentiating the occurrence of OM in patients with GC. Results: The incidence of OM in older adults with GC was 1.1%. Adenocarcinoma was the most common type of GC in both groups, and there was no significant difference in demographic characteristics between the groups. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), carbohydrate antigen-724 (CA724), and carcinoembryonic antigen levels were significantly higher in the OM group than the NOM group, while those of apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) were significantly lower in the OM than the NOM group. Binary logistic analysis showed that LDL, ApoA1, and CA724 were independent risk factors for OM in patients with GC ( P < .001, P = .033, and P = .008, respectively). ROC curve analysis generated area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.881, 0.576, and 0.906 for LDL, ApoA1, and CA724, respectively. In addition, combined analysis of LDL, ApoA1, and CA724 generated the highest AUC value of 0.924 ( P < .001). Conclusion: Among SI, LDL, ApoA1, and CA724 have predictive value for the occurrence of OM in GC, with the three factors combined having the highest value.

Pattern of lymph node metastases in gastric cancer: a side-study of the multicenter LOGICA-trial

BACKGROUND

The relation between gastric cancer characteristics and lymph node (LN) metastatic patterns is not fully clear, especially following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). This study analyzed nodal metastatic patterns.

METHODS

Individual LN stations were analyzed for all patients from the LOGICA-trial, a Dutch multicenter randomized trial comparing laparoscopic versus open D2-gastrectomy for gastric cancer. The pattern of metastases per LN station was related to tumor location, cT-stage, Lauren classification and NAC.

RESULTS

Between 2015-2018, 212 patients underwent D2-gastrectomy, of whom 158 (75%) received NAC. LN metastases were present in 120 patients (57%). Proximal tumors metastasized predominantly to proximal LN stations (no. 1, 2, 7 and 9; p < 0.05), and distal tumors to distal LN stations (no. 5, 6 and 8; OR > 1, p > 0.05). However, distal tumors also metastasized to proximal LN stations, and vice versa. Despite NAC, each LN station (no. 1-9, 11 and 12a) showed metastases, regardless of tumor location, cT-stage, histological subtype and NAC treatment, including station 12a for cT1N0-tumors. LN metastases were present more frequently in diffuse versus intestinal tumors (66% versus 52%; p = 0,048), but not for cT3-4- versus cT1-2-stage (59% versus 51%; p = 0.259). However, the pattern of LN metastases was similar for these subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS

The extent of lymphadenectomy cannot be reduced after NAC for gastric cancer. Although the pattern of LN metastases is related to tumor location, all LN stations contained metastases regardless of tumor location, cT-stage (including cT1N0-tumors), histological subtype, or NAC treatment. Therefore, D2-lymphadenectomy should be routinely performed during gastrectomy in Western patients.

Infrapyloric lymph node dissection in right hemicolectomy for colon cancer: Should prophylactic resection be recommended?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Infrapyloric lymph node dissection in right colon cancer patients remains controversial. We aimed to investigate the pattern of infrapyloric lymph node metastasis in right colon cancer patients.

METHODS

Clinical and pathological data of 140 colon cancer patients who underwent radical right hemicolectomy and infrapyloric lymph node dissection were retrospectively examined. Patient characteristics, intraoperative conditions, postoperative recovery information, postoperative pathological findings, and follow-up data were examined.

RESULTS

About 19, 44, 73, and 4 patients had tumors located in the cecum, ascending colon, hepatic flexure, and right side of the transverse colon, respectively. The median number of harvested lymph nodes and that of positive lymph nodes were 24 (16-30) and 1 (0-7.75), respectively. The lymph node metastasis rate was 41.43% (58/140). The corresponding values for infrapyloric lymph nodes were 3 (1-4), 0 (0-0), and 0.71% (1/140), respectively. The median follow-up duration was 19 (0-65) months in 131 (93.6%) patients. The 5-year overall and disease-free survival rates were 86.3% and 73.5%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Given the low rate of infrapyloric lymph node metastasis in right colon cancer, lymph node dissection is recommended in patients with locally advanced colon cancer at the hepatic flexure and those with suspected infrapyloric lymph node metastasis.

Multifocal early gastric cancer in a patient with atrophic gastritis and pernicious anemia

INTRODUCTION

Pernicious anemia (PA) caused by vitamin B12 deficiency is associated with Autoimmune Metaplastic Atrophic Gastritis (AMAG). Patients with AMAG have threefold risk of the development of gastric cancer.

PRESENTATION OF CASE

We describe a case of a 66 year old man with a history of PA and atrophic antral-corpus gastritis. After endoscopic and chromoendoscopic evaluation the patient was treated with subtotal gastrectomy plus D2 lymphadenectomy. The tumor was diagnosed as Stage Ia; pT1a pN0 pM0 G2 with multiple foci of high grade dysplasia and intramucosal adenocarcinoma.

DISCUSSION

Multifocal Early Gastric Cancer can be a problem for minimally invasive treatment such as endoscopic excision. Surgical management where it is not possible Endoscopic Mucosal Resection or Submucosal Resection (EMR/ESD) should include D1 or more type of lymphadenectomy because of the risk of nodes metastases. The chromoendoscopic evaluation may be helpful in the preoperative work-up and during the follow-up period.

CONCLUSION

Multidisciplinary approach is very important to reduce the under-treatment risk in multifocal early gastric cancer. Further studies will be needed to evaluate the safety of Subtotal vs Total Gastrectomy in this kind of disease.

Significance of nodal dissection and nodal positivity in gastric cancer

Lymphadenectomy is a central component of surgery for gastric cancer. However, controversies over the optimal extent of lymphadenectomy in gastric cancer surgery have persisted for several decades. In Eastern countries where the incidence of gastric cancer is high, surgeons have performed extensive lymphadenectomy (D2 lymphadenectomy) with low morbidity and mortality, while most Western surgeons have advocated for more limited lymphadenectomies according to the results of Dutch trial and MRC trial. Initially, these trials had failed to show survival benefit of D2 procedure and instead, found pancreaticosplenectomy performed as part of the D2 procedure associated with high incidence of morbidity and mortality. Subsequently, superiority of D2 lymphadenectomy on survival was demonstrated based on updated results. Moreover, spleen and pancreas preserving D2 lymphadenectomy are being performed safely in Western countries. Today, there is an international consensus on performing D2 lymphadenectomy as the standard procedure for advanced gastric cancer and is widely accepted as the standard procedure for gastric cancer surgery. The significance of the extent of lymphadenectomy is intimately associated with the prognostic importance of nodal metastases as the most powerful indicator of recurrence and survival for patients after curative gastrectomy. Maruyama computer program could be used to estimate the risk of lymph node metastasis in each nodal station. The Maruyama Index could be used to assess the adequacy of lymphadenectomy in gastric cancer. Positive lymph node ratio is calculated as the ratio of positive lymph nodes to all harvested lymph nodes, which might be a more precise predictor of prognosis than the absolute number of positive lymph nodes. While D2 lymphadenectomy enables the accurate staging of the disease, reduces the incidence of locoregional recurrences and thus contribute to an improved overall survival; performing lymphadenectomy beyond D2 is unlikely to improve survival. Therapeutic D2+ lymphadenectomy for advanced gastric cancer requires further evaluations, especially for patients receiving neo-adjuvant or conversion treatments.

Factors associated with metastasis in superior mesenteric vein lymph node in subtotal gastrectomy for gastric cancer: Retrospective case control study

Objective

The revised Japanese treatment guideline for gastric cancer recommends dissection of the superior mesenteric vein lymph node (No. 14v LN) if there is metastasis in infrapyloric lymph node (No. 6 LN). However, it is still controversial whether LN dissection is necessary. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors associated with metastasis in No. 14v LN.

Methods

Patients who underwent D2 lymphadenectomy between 2003 and 2010 were included. We excluded patients who underwent total gastrectomy, had multiple lesions, or had missing data about the status of metastasis in the LNs that were included in D2 lymphadenectomy. Clinicopathologic characteristics and the metastasis in regional LNs were compared between patients with No. 14v LN metastasis (14v+) and those without (14v−).

Results

Five hundred sixty patients were included in this study. Univariate analysis showed that old age, larger tumor size, tumor location, differentiation, lymphatic invasion, venous invasion, perineural invasion, T classification, and N classification were related to metastasis in No. 14v LN. Multivariate analysis showed differentiation (P=0.027) and N classification (P<0.001) were independent related factors. Metastasis in infrapyloric lymph node (No. 6 LN) and proxiaml splenic lymph node (No. 11p LN) was independently associated with metastasis in No. 14v LN.

Conclusions

Differentiation and N classification were independent factors associated with No. 14v LN metastasis, and No. 6 and No. 11p LN metastasis were independent risk factors for No. 14v LN metastasis.

Is there a role for treatment-oriented surgery in stage IV gastric cancer? A systematic review

To analyze the available evidence on the role of treatment-oriented surgery in stage IV gastric cancer (metastatic disease), a systematic literature search was undertaken using Medline, Embase, Cochrane, and Web-of-Science libraries. The search was not restricted to articles published within a given year range. Articles written in English language (or with abstracts written in English) were considered. All references in the chosen articles were further screened to find additional relevant publications. Both clinical series and literature reviews were included. Stage IV gastric cancer is classified into four subcategories: positive peritoneal cytology without clear macroscopic peritoneal involvement (surgery is usually performed in these cases); gross appearance peritoneal carcinomatosis [surgery, eventually with hyperthermic intraoperative peritoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) may be considered in very selected cases with limited PCI]; nodal metastases outside the loco-regional nodes (surgery may not be denied for metastatic nodes in stations 13 and 16); and hematogenous metastases (surgery should be performed in selected cases with liver metastases suitable to R0 resection). The analysis incorporated the new biological classification of stage IV gastric cancer recently proposed by Japanese researchers (Yoshida et al. in Gastric Cancer 19:329-338. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10120-015-0575-z , 2015) into the four aforementioned subcategories to make the comparison of the issues discussed meaningful. The take home message from the existing literature is that treatment-oriented surgery may be performed in a significant proportion of patients with stage IV gastric cancer.

The clinical significance of platelet-derived growth factors (PDGFs) and their receptors (PDGFRs) in gastric cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The overexpression and mutation of platelet-derived growth factors (PDGFs) and their receptors (PDGFRs) are widespread in cancers and have been recognized as attractive oncologic targets with diverse therapeutic targets. Reports of the overexpression of genes, proteins and mutations of PDGFs/PDGFRs in gastric cancer and their associations with clinicopathological features, Western and Asian patients, as well as prognostic role have shown variable outcomes. This study sought to employ meta-analysis to evaluate PDGFs/PDGFRs status prognostic significance and their association with clinicopathological features of gastric cancer.

METHOD

A comprehensive search of PubMed database for studies that investigated the overexpression of mRNA/Protein and mutation of PDGFs/PDGFRs in gastric cancer of Western and Asian patients, their prognostic significance and association with clinicopathological characteristics in May, 2017 or earlier was carried out by two reviewers independently. Pooled odd ratios and hazard ratios at 95% confidence intervals were estimated and summarized using fixed-effect and random-effect Mantel-Haenszel models and Inverse Variance models in Review Manager software version 5.3.

RESULTS

Fourteen studies with 16 datasets of 1178 patients were included in meta-analysis. Fourteen studies of 1178 patients with 1446 cases and 7 studies of 1076 patients with 1280 cases were included in meta-analysis of clinicopathological and prognostic significance of high or positive PDGF/PDGFR status respectively. Odd ratio at 95% confidence intervals for different groups of analysis are as follows: males versus females(OR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.04-1.83, P_OR = 0.03); ≥T2 stage versus T1 stage(OR = 2.06, 95% CI: 1.22-3.49, P_OR = 0.007); nodal metastasis versus no nodal metastasis(OR = 2.78, 95% CI: 1.48-5.22, P_OR = 0.002); TNM stage ≥II versus TNM stage I(OR = 3.55, 95% CI: 1.89-6.69, P_OR<0.0001). Subgroup analysis of the association of PDGF/PDGFR among Western patients(OR = 0.24 95% CI: 0.10-0.58, P_OR = 0.002) and association of PDGFs/PDGFRs gene mutation among gastric cancer patients(OR = 0.15, 95% CI: 0.05-0.45, P_OR = 0.0008) were significant. The association of PDGFs/PDGFRs in young and middle age versus elderly aged, undifferentiated versus well differentiated tumors, large tumor size group(>6 cm) versus small tumor size group(≤6 cm) were insignificant. Subgroup analysis of the association of PDGFs/PDGFRs among Western Asian patients; PDGF/PDGFR mRNA expression and protein expression among gastric cancer patients were insignificant. In addition, PDGF/PDGFR status among gastric cancer patients was insignificant in overall effect analysis PDGF/PDGFR status has shown to predict reduced overall survival(HR = 1.25, 95% CI: 0.49-3.22, P_HR = 0.64) and relapse free survival(HR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.36-2.41, P_HR = 0.88) insignificantly. Also, overall prognostic effect analysis(HR = 1.07, 95% CI: 0.58-1.96, P_HR = 0.84) was insignificant.

CONCLUSION

PDGFs/PDGFRs status amongst gastric cancer patients plays a key role in clinical variables and nodal metastasis. These insights might be helpful in providing guidelines for diagnosis, molecular target therapy, and prognosis of gastric cancer.

Elevated preoperative plasma D-dimer dose not adversely affect survival of gastric cancer after gastrectomy with curative intent: A propensity score analysis

Objective

Elevated plasma D-dimer has been reported to be associated with advanced tumor stage and poor survival in several types of malignancies. The purpose of this study was to assess the potential impact of preoperative plasma D-dimer level (PDL) on overall survival (OS) of gastric cancer (GC) patients undergoing curative surgery by applying propensity score analysis.

Methods

A total of 1,025 curatively resected GC patients in Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital were enrolled. Patients were categorized into two groups based on preoperative PDL: the elevated group (EG) and the normal group (NG). To overcome bias due to the different distribution of covariates for the two groups, a one-to-one match was applied using propensity score analysis, after matching, prognostic factors were analyzed.

Results

In analysis for the whole study series, patients in the EG were more likely to have a larger proportion of tumor size ≥5 cm (67.5% vs. 55.8%, P=0.006), elder mean age (64.0±10.8 years vs. 60.5±11.6 years, P<0.001) and advanced tumor (T), node (N), and TNM stage. Patients with elevated PDL demonstrated a significantly lower 5-year OS than those with normal PDL (27.0%vs. 42.6%, P<0.001), however, the PDL was not an independent prognostic factor for OS in multivariate analysis [hazard ratio: 1.13, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.92-1.39, P=0.236]. After matching, 163 patients in the EG and 163 patients in the NG had the same characteristics. The 5-year OS rate for patients in the EG was 27.0% compared with 25.8% for those in the NG (P=0.809, log-rank).

Conclusions

The poor prognosis of GC patients with elevated preoperative PDL was due to the advanced tumor stage and elder age rather than the elevated D-dimer itself.

The pattern of lymph node metastases in microsatellite unstable gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Microsatellite instability (MSI) is one of the new groups of molecular divisions of gastric cancer (GC). The aim of this study was to investigate the pattern of lymph node metastasis according to MSI status.

METHODS

MSI analysis of 361 GC patients with information about lymph node stations was performed using 5 quasimonomorphic mononucleotide repeats. The metastasis rates for each lymphatic station was analyzed, combined with clinicopathologic characteristics. Stations were divided into compartments 1-3 on the basis of Japanese Classification. A median number (interquartile range, IQR) of 33 (18-50) lymph nodes were removed and analyzed.

RESULTS

N0 status was observed in 53.7% MSI patients, and in 29.7% microsatellite stable (MSS) (p < 0.001).The median value of involved nodes was 1 in MSI vs. 5 in MSS (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the number of involved node stations was significantly lower in the MSI group (p < 0.001). MSS tumors showed a higher propensity to spread to second and third compartment nodes. In absence of lymphovascular invasion only 3.2% cases demonstrated positive nodes beyond the first compartment. Skip metastases were seen in 6.1% MSS patients and 0% MSI (p = 0.011). No difference in the 10-year cancer related survival among MSI and MSS patients was found, for both those with 1st compartment (p = 0.223) and with 2nd compartment involvement (p = 0.814).

CONCLUSIONS

MSI GC shows a high rate of N0 stage, a lower number of lymph node metastases, and a less extensive spread to lymph node stations than MSS tumors. These data indicate that tailored lymphadenectomy may be investigated for these patients.

Incidence and Prognostic Value of Metastases to "Posterior" and Para-aortic Lymph Nodes in Resectable Gastric Cancer

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the incidence and prognostic value of metastases to "posterior" (8p, 12b/p, 13) and para-aortic lymph nodes in a large cohort of Western patients submitted to D2 plus lymphadenectomy.

METHODS

Removal of "posterior" nodes was performed in 743 patients, and para-aortic lymphadenectomy in a subgroup of 390 patients. After lymph node mapping and retrieval on the fresh specimen, a median number of 41 total lymph nodes were analyzed. The median follow-up period was 37 months for the entire series and 68 months for survivors.

RESULTS

Of 743 included patients, 23 (3.1%) had metastases in station 8p, 12 (1.6%) in station 12b/p, and 19 (2.6%) in station 13. On the whole, 47 of 743 patients (6.3%) had positive "posterior" nodes. Para-aortic metastases were present in 42 of 390 patients (10.8%). Metastases to "posterior" stations were significantly related to depth of invasion, number of positive nodes, and surgical radicality. Distal tumors showed higher trend to metastasize to "posterior" nodes than upper third, whereas for para-aortic metastases it was the reverse. 5-year survival in patients with positivity to "posterior" nodes was 17%, with no significant difference according to 8p, 12b/p, and 13 stations; long-term outcome was overlapping to pN3b stage. 5-year survival in para-aortic positive cases was 11%, and a trend to better outcome was observed in proximal tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

Although metastases to "posterior" and para-aortic nodes are expression of an advanced nodal stage, not negligible survival rates are observed in subgroups of patients.

The survival benefit and safety of No. 12a lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer patients with distal or total gastrectomy

There has still not been a consensus in aspects of survival benefit and safety on No.12a lymph nodes (LNs) dissection for gastric cancer patients. This study was aimed to evaluate this issue for patients with distal or total gastrectomy. Patients were retrospectively divided into 12aD+ group (with No.12a dissection) and 12aD–group (without No.12a dissection). Clinicopathologic characteristics, survival rate, morbidity and mortality were compared. There were 670 patients in 12aD+ group, while 567 in 12aD–group. The baselines between the two groups were comparable. The No.12a LNs metastasis ratio was 11.6% and higher in lower third tumor. The metastasis of No.5 LNs, N stage and M stage were correlated to metastasis of No.12a LNs. There was no difference in morbidity nor mortality between the two groups. The 5-year overall survival rates (5-y OS) were 59.6% and 55.1% in 12aD+ group and 12aD–group respectively (P = 0.075). The 5-y OS of patients with negative and positive No.12a LNs were 62.3% and 24.1%. The survival of stage III patients with No.12a positive was better than that of stage IV patients. The 5-y OS were better in 12aD+ group for patients with ages more than 60, lower third tumor, distal gastrectomy, N3 status, or III stages compared with 12aD–group. No.12a lymphadenectomy was independently better prognostic factors for stage III patients. No.12a LNs metastasis should not be considered as distant metastasis. No.12a lymphadenectomy can be performed safely and should be indicated for potentially curable progressive stage tumors requiring distal gastrectomy and might be reserved in patients with stage I or II, or upper third tumor.

Surgical anatomy of gastric lymphatic drainage

The lymphatic system of the stomach is a multidirectional and complex network composed of lymphatic nodes and vessels. Lymph node metastasis is the most important prognostic factor in curable gastric cancer and lymph node dissection is one of the main areas of surgical research in gastric cancer. Therefore the anatomical classification and embryological development of the gastric lymphatic system have been well described in the literature. The current description of the gastric lymphatic system of the stomach has a surgical orientation and follows the recommendations of the Japanese Gastric Cancer Association. A thorough knowledge of the lymphatic system surrounding the stomach proves to be invaluable to surgeons treating patients with gastric cancer. The aim of this paper is to provide a concise review about surgical anatomy of the gastric lymphatic drainage.

Lymphadenectomy: state of the art

The extent of lymphadenectomy in gastric cancer (GC) surgery has been for long time a matter of debate. Randomized trials performed in the West reported worse results of D2 dissection, in terms of postoperative complications and long-term survival benefit, than Eastern series and observational studies from specialized Western centers. However, long-term re-evaluation of such trials and in depth-analysis of other experiences demonstrated the potential benefit of D2 in reducing the probability of cancer-related death and the safety of this procedure when avoiding unnecessary spleno-pancreatectomy and in centers with ad adequate surgical volume. Nowadays, the D2 is considered the standard treatment in most guidelines all over the world. More limited procedures (D1, D1 plus) may be adequate in selected cases, and more extended dissections (D2 plus) could be indicated in advanced forms with high risk of metastases to distant nodes, but in specialized centers or in the setting of clinical studies. The integration with neoadjuvant therapies and multimodality approach could offer a chance of cure in groups of patients with poor results when approached with standard treatment.

Distant nodal metastasis: is it always an unresectable disease?

This article aims at analyzing the published literature concerning the treatment of patients with gastric cancer and distant nodal metastases, actually considered metastatic disease. A systematic search was undertaken using Medline, Embase, Cochrane and Web-of-Science libraries. No specific restriction on year of publication was used; preference was given to English papers. Both clinical series and literature reviews were selected. Only 11 papers address the issue of surgery for nodal basins outside the D2 dissection area. From these papers, in selected cases extended surgery may prove useful in prolonging survival, when a comprehensive therapeutic pathway including chemotherapy is scheduled. In conclusion, in presence of nodal metastases outside the loco-regional nodes, surgery may be considered for metastatic nodes in stations 13 and 16, in selected cases.

The Role of No. 10 Lymphadenectomy for Advanced Proximal Gastric Cancer Patients Without Metastasis to No. 4sa and No. 4sb Lymph Nodes

BACKGROUND

There is no consensus in the impact of No. 10 lymph node dissection (LND) for advanced proximal gastric cancer (APGC) and the status of negative No. 4sa and No. 4sb lymph nodes (No. 4s LNs) is reportedly associated with no metastasis to No. 10 LN. We aimed to evaluate the role of No. 10 LND in APGC patients with negative No. 4s LNs and the diagnostic accuracy of intraoperative pathologic examination.

METHODS

We analyzed data on 727 patients with APGC who had undergone D2 lymphadenectomy with No. 10 LND (n = 380) or without No. 10 LND (n = 347) between January 2005 and December 2010. Additionally, from January to July 2014, we prospectively enrolled 48 patients with APGC and examined their No. 4s LNs intraoperatively.

RESULTS

The negative predictive efficacy of No. 4s LN status for no metastasis to No. 10 LN was 98.09 %. Operation time, blood loss, time to first solid diet, hospital stay, and postoperative complication rate differed significantly between patients with negative No. 4s LNs who underwent No. 10 LND (n = 260) and those who did not undergo No. 10 LND (n = 243). Differences between the two groups in 5-year overall and disease-free survival were not statistically significant. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of intraoperative pathological examination of LNs were 93.42, 96.56, and 95.86 %, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The No. 10 lymphadenectomy may not be recommended in patients with APGC who are found by intraoperative pathological examination to have negative No. 4s LNs.

On the road to standardization of D2 lymph node dissection in a European population of patients with gastric cancer

The amount of lymph node dissection (LD) required during surgical treatment of gastric cancer surgery has been quite controversial. In the 1970s and 1980s, Japanese surgeons developed a doctrine of aggressive preventive gastric cancer surgery that was based on extended (D2) LD volumes. The West has relatively lower incidence rates of gastric cancer, and in Europe and the United States the most common LD volume was D0-1. This eventually caused a scientific conflict between the Eastern and Western schools of surgical thought: Japanese surgeons determinedly used D2 LD in surgical practice, whereas European surgeons insisted on repetitive clinical trials in the European patient population. Today, however, one can observe the results of this complex evolution of views. The D2 LD is regarded as an unambiguous standard of gastric cancer surgical treatment in specialized European centers. Such a consensus of the Eastern and Western surgical schools became possible due to the longstanding scientific and practical search for methods that would help improve the results of gastric cancer surgeries using evidence-based medicine. Today, we can claim that D2 LD could improve the prognosis in European populations of patients with gastric cancer, but only when the surgical quality of LD execution is adequate.

A pilot study of an individualized comprehensive treatment for advanced gastric cancer with para-aortic lymph node metastasis

Background

The incidence of the para-aortic lymph node metastasis (PALM) in patients with advanced gastric cancer is 6 to 33 %. The prognosis is poor and the 5-year survival rate is only 12 to 23 % after gastrectomy with super-extended lymph node dissection. We applied an individualized comprehensive treatment for affected patients including neoadjuvant chemotherapy via intra-arterial and intravenous administration, surgery and radiotherapy, to investigate the safety and prognostic value.

Methods

Between January 2005 and December 2010, 47 advanced gastric cancer patients with PALM received 5-Fu (370 mg/m²) and leucovorin (200 mg/m²) intravenously on days 1–5, and intra-arterial infusion of etoposide (80 mg/m²) and oxaliplatin (80 mg/m²) on days 6 and 20, repeated 2 cycles. Patients achieved PR or CR of the para-aortic lymph node (PAL) were performed D2 dissection, followed by 6 cycles chemotherapy with XELOX regimen, oxaliplatin (130 mg/m²) on day 1 and xeloda (1000 mg/m²) on days 1 to 14 of a 28-day cycle, and radiotherapy to the region of PALM.

Results

Forty-six patients completed 2 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The overall response rate of the primary tumor was 80.4 % (37/46). The response rate of PAL was 76.1 % (35/46). Thirty-two patients underwent D2 dissection and six cases achieved pathological complete response (pCR). The toxicity profile was well tolerable and there was no treatment-related death. The median survival time for all patients was 23 months, and for nonsurgical and surgical patients were 12 and 29 months (p < 0.001), respectively. The 1-year, 2-year and 3-year survival rate was 70.96, 43.27 and 35.48 % for all patients, and for surgical patients was 96.875, 68.75, and 40.63 %.

Conclusion

Advanced gastric cancer patients with PALM can obtain a survival benefit from neoadjuvant chemotherapy, subsequent surgery and radiotherapy.

Trial registration

Current Controlled Trials ChiCTR-TRC-12002046.

Prognostic value of tumor size in patients with remnant gastric cancer: is the seventh UICC stage sufficient for predicting prognosis?

BACKGROUND

The 7th UICC N stage may be unsuitable for remnant gastric cancer (RGC) because the original disease and previous operation usually cause abnormal lymphatic drainage. However, the prognostic significance of the current TNM staging system in RGC has not been studied.

METHODS

Prospective data from 153 RGC patients who underwent curative gastrectomy from Jan 1995 to Aug 2009 were reviewed. All patients were classified according to tumor size (<3 cm as N0;>3&≤5 cm as N1;>5&≤7 cm as N2; and>7 cm as N3). The overall survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using the Cox proportional hazard model.

RESULTS

Tumor sizes ranged from 1.0 to 15.0 cm (median 5.0 cm). Tumor size, depth of invasion and lymph node (LN) metastasis were significant prognostic factors based on both the univariate and multivariate analyses (P<0.05). In the survival analysis, the seventh edition UICC-TNM classification provided a detailed classification; however, some subgroups of the UICC-TNM classification did not have significantly different survival rates. The combination of the seventh edition T classification and the suggested N classification, with ideal relative risk (RR) results and P value, was distinctive for subgrouping the survival rates except for the IA versus IB and II A versus IIB. A modified staging system based on tumor size, predicted survival more accurately than the conventional TNM staging system.

CONCLUSIONS

In RGCs, tumor size is an independent prognostic factor and a modified TNM system based on tumor size accurately predicts survival.

The SIC-GIRCG 2013 Consensus Conference on Gastric Cancer

The topic chosen by the Board of the Italian Society of Surgery for the 2013 annual Consensus Conference was gastric cancer. With this purpose, under the direction of 2 chairmen, 36 experts nominated by the Regional Societies of Surgery and by the Italian Research Group for Gastric Cancer (GIRCG) participated in an experts consensus exercise, preceded by a questionnaire and mainly held by telematic vote, in accordance with the rules of the Delphi method. The results of this Consensus Conference, presented to the 115th National Congress of the Italian Society of Surgery, and approved in plenary session, are reported in the present paper.

Gastric stump cancer after distal gastrectomy for benign disease: clinicopathological features and surgical outcomes

PURPOSE

The purpose of the present study was to analyze clinicopathologic features and long-term prognosis of gastric stump cancer (GSC) arising in the remnant stomach 5 years or later after partial gastrectomy for benign disease.

METHODS

We reviewed the results of 176 patients resected with curative intent for GSC at 8 Italian centers belonging to the Italian Research Group for Gastric Cancer (GIRCG). The median (range) follow-up time for surviving patients was 71.2 (6-207) months.

RESULTS

One hundred forty-six patients were men, the mean age at the time of diagnosis was 69.2 years, and the great majority (167 cases) underwent Billroth II reconstruction. R0 resection was achieved in 158 (90 %) patients, and in 94 (53 %) lymph node dissection was ≥D2. Postoperative mortality and complication rates were 6.2 and 43.2 %, respectively. T1 tumor was diagnosed in 45 (25 %) cases. Lymph node metastases were evident in 86 patients (49 %). Thirteen patients had involvement of the jejunal mesentery nodes (pJN+); five cases were T2-T3 and eight cases were T4. Overall 5-year survival rate was 53.1 %. Five-year survival rates were 68.1, 37.8, and 33.1 % for pT1, pT2-3, and pT4 tumors, respectively (P = 0.001). Five-year survival rate was 56.5 % for node-negative tumors (pN0), 32.3 % for tumors with nodal metastases without involvement of jejunal mesentery nodes (pN+), and 17.1 % for tumors with involvement of jejunal mesentery nodes (pJN+) (P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that an aggressive surgical approach can achieve a satisfactory outcome in GSC.

Improved survival after adding dissection of the superior mesenteric vein lymph node (14v) to standard D2 gastrectomy for advanced distal gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Extended lymph node dissection in gastric cancer (D3) was proven to have no survival benefit compared with a D2 dissection, but whether adding the superior mesenteric nodes (No. 14v) to the dissection provides survival benefit for gastric cancer patients remains controversial.

METHODS

From April 2001 to June 2007, 1,661 patients underwent curative resection for middle or lower third gastric cancer. Patients were grouped according to No. 14v lymphadenectomy (14vD+/14vD-). Clinicopathologic characteristics and treatment-related factors were compared between the groups. Overall survival according to the clinical stage (Union for International Cancer Control tumor-node-metastasis staging 6th edition) was analyzed using the Cox proportional hazard model.

RESULTS

The incidence of No. 14v lymph node metastasis was 5.0%. There was no difference in morbidity or mortality between the 14vD+ and the 14vD- groups. The proportion of locoregional recurrence was greater in 14vD- group (P = .018). In clinical stages I and II, 14v lymph node dissection did not affect overall survival; in contrast, 14v lymph node dissection was an independent prognostic factor in patients with clinical stage III/IV gastric cancer (hazard ratio, 0.58; 95% confidence interval, 0.38-0.88; P = .01).

CONCLUSION

Extended D2 gastrectomy including No. 14v lymph node dissection seems to be associated with improved overall survival of patients with clinical stage III/IV gastric cancer in the middle or lower third of the stomach.

Race and correlations between lymph node number and survival for patients with gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

There is ongoing debate whether extended lymphadenectomy improves survival in gastric cancer patients who undergo surgical resection. We previously observed that Korean-American patients had the highest overall survival in Los Angeles County. Our objective was to assess lymph node (LN) number and its impact on survival for Korean-American gastric cancer patients.

METHODS

We utilized the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry to identify Korean-Americans with gastric adenocarcinoma treated with curative-intent gastrectomy between 1988 and 2008. We grouped patients according to examined LN number (1-15 and 16+) and compared characteristics. We performed similar analysis for white patients.

RESULTS

Out of 982 Korean-American patients with gastric adenocarcinoma, most patients had 1-15 examined LNs (60 %). When we compared LN groups, we observed higher overall survival in the 1-15 group than the 16+ group (5-year survival, 59 % vs 52 %, respectively; p = 0.04). However, LN number was not prognostic of overall survival on stepwise Cox proportional hazards analysis. In contrast, LN number was prognostic for white patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Although examined LN number may impact survival for white patients, outcomes of Korean-American gastric cancer patients were independent of LN number. Our data suggest that survival of Korean-American gastric cancer patients are comparable with outcomes from East Asian hospitals and may be independent of surgical technique.

Prognostic value of the 7th AJCC/UICC TNM classification of noncardia gastric cancer: analysis of a large series from specialized Western centers

OBJECTIVE

To conduct a retrospective evaluation of the 7th-TNM classification of gastric cancer (GC) on a prospectively collected database.

BACKGROUND

The recent TNM introduced relevant changes to GC classification.

METHODS

Data regarding 2090 consecutive patients with noncardia GC operated upon between 1991 and 2005 at 5 specialized centers were considered. The application of the new TNM was simulated, and its prognostic value was estimated.

RESULTS

Relevant changes in stage distribution between 6th and 7th TNM were observed, mainly regarding the shift of a large proportion of cases from stages IB to IIA and from IIIA and IV to stages IIIB and IIIC. Cancer-related 10-year survival probability was 53% ± 1%. Different survival rates between new T (T2 vs. T3, P < 0.001) and N categories (N1 vs. N2, P < 0.001) were observed. Survival rate of N3a subgroup (7-15 involved lymph nodes) was significantly better than N3b (>15 involved lymph nodes; P < 0.001). Stages IB and IIA of the 7th TNM showed similar prognosis, whereas significant differences were observed among all other subgroups. The analysis of TNM categories within 7th TNM stages revealed nonhomogeneous survival rates in stages IIB, IIIB, and IV.

CONCLUSIONS

The 7th AJCC/UICC TNM classification of noncardia GC identifies subgroups of patients with different prognosis. Stage distribution and stage-related survival changed notably from the 6th edition. Some improvements may be suggested from our data, with special reference to a higher prognostic weight of N status and the separation of N3a and N3b categories for stage grouping.

Tumor site and perigastric nodal status are the most important predictors of para-aortic nodal involvement in advanced gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

This study was designed to identify pathological predictors of para-aortic nodal invasion in advanced gastric cancer.

METHODS

Between 1990 and 2007, 294 patients with advanced gastric cancer underwent gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy + para-aortic nodal dissection in Siena and Verona, Italy.

RESULTS

Forty-seven (16%) patients had para-aortic node metastases. Of these, 91%, 88%, and 74%, respectively, also had metastases at stations No. 3, No. 1, and No. 7. Para-aortic node metastases were never observed when stations No. 1 and No. 3 were both negative. Patients were divided into three groups, according to the risk of para-aortic node invasion: (1) high-risk group (n = 24, 8.2%), presenting a 42% risk and comprising T3/T4 cancers with mixed/nonintestinal histology, arising from the upper third; (2) low-risk group (n = 138, 46.9%), presenting a 0-10% risk and including middle-lower third tumors-either T2 irrespective of histology, or T3/T4 with intestinal histology; (3) intermediate-risk group, comprising all other patients (n = 132, 44.9%). Their risk ranged between 16% and 30%, but increased up to 21-37.5% after excluding 33 patients with negative No. 1 and No. 3 stations.

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of tumor site, histology, and T stage with perigastric nodal status allowed identification of patients at higher risk of para-aortic nodal invasion who could benefit from para-aortic nodal dissection.

High accuracy of multislices computed tomography (MSCT) for para-aortic lymph node metastases from gastric cancer: a prospective single-center study

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study is to analyze the diagnostic accuracy of MSCT in the identification of para-aortic lymph node metastases from gastric cancer.

METHODS

A total of 92 consecutive patients with primary gastric cancer were prospectively submitted to preoperative MSCT staging according to a standard protocol in the period 2003-2010. All diagnostic procedures were performed by dedicated radiologists who were unaware of the final pathological nodal status. Subsequently all patients underwent potentially curative (R0) resection with extended lymphadenectomy plus para-aortic nodal dissection. Lymph node mapping in different stations and retrieval of single lymph nodes were performed by the surgeon on the fresh specimen and then submitted for pathological examination. Clinical, radiological, and pathological data were prospectively stored on database.

RESULTS

A median number of 47 (range: 18-114) total lymph nodes and 7 (range: 3-29) para-aortic lymph nodes were removed. In 13 of 92 included patients (14%), histological examination demonstrated para-aortic nodal metastases; MSCT was correctly positive in 11 of these cases (sensitivity: 85%). In 79 patients para-aortic nodes were not involved, and MSCT resulted correctly negative in 75 of these patients (specificity: 95%). Positive (PPV) and negative (NPV) predictive values were 73 and 97%, with a global accuracy of 93%.

CONCLUSIONS

MSCT performed according to a standard protocol by dedicated radiologists demonstrated high accuracy in preoperative identification of para-aortic nodal metastases from gastric cancer. These results may be useful in planning surgical approach or during clinical staging before neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

A novel insight of sentinel lymph node concept based on 1-3 positive nodes in patients with pT1-2 gastric cancer

Background

Sentinel node (SN) biopsy has been practiced in gastric cancer in recent years, and many studies focused on the distribution of solitary lymph node metastasis (SLM) to assess the pattern of SN. In fact, there is usually more than one SN existing in gastric cancer. The distribution of SNs needs to be further re-evaluated.

Methods

A total of 289 patients in pT1-2 stage with 1-3 positive nodes confined to same compartment were included in this study with informed consents. The primary lesion was solitary (≤ 5.0 cm in diameter) and D2 or D3 lymph node dissection had been performed. The location of metastatic lymph nodes was analyzed retrospectively.

Results

Most positive nodes occurred in N1 compartment, with frequency of 79.6% to 85.7% based on site of tumor. In the lower third of stomach, no. 6 was the most common metastatic site and no. 3 was the second; the order was reversed for SLM. With increasing depth of tumor invasion, a progressively augmented nodal involvement was shown. Nearly a half appeared transverse metastasis when the tumor located at the lesser or greater curvature. Among skip metastasis, no. 7, 8a, 9 and 11p were the most common metastatic sites and the prognosis was as similar as that of patients with N1 involved only.

Conclusions

The 1-3 positive nodes in the same compartment should be possible SNs, and most of which are restricted in N1 in pT1-2 gastric cancer. Transversal and 2 stations lymph node metastasis are common.

Lymph node dissection in the resection of gastric cancer: review of existing evidence

Gastric cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Surgery is the only curative therapy for localized gastric cancer, but the extent of regional lymphadenectomy has been a matter of considerable debate. Extended resections that are regarded as standard procedures in some Asian countries, including Japan and Korea, have not been shown to be as effective in Western countries. The extent of lymphadenectomy for advanced gastric cancer has been studied in many prospective randomized controlled trials. On the other hand, patients with early gastric cancer have an excellent survival rate (>90%) after radical surgery. Lymph node metastasis from early gastric cancer is relatively infrequent. Therefore, it might be practical to perform less invasive surgery for early gastric cancer. In this review article, we examine the evidence for lymph node dissection as radical surgery in advanced gastric cancer and the possibility of limited resection for early gastric cancer.

Metastatic lymph node in gastric cancer; is it a real distant metastasis?

BACKGROUND

Currently, the TNM staging system is a widely accepted method for assessing the prognosis of the disease and planning therapeutic strategies for cancer. Of the TNM system, the extent of lymph node involvement is the most important independent prognostic factor for gastric cancer. The aim of our study is to evaluate the survival and prognosis of gastric cancer patients with LN#12 or #13 involvement only and to assess the impact of anatomic regions of primary gastric tumor on survival in this particular subset of patients.

METHODS

Among data of 1,008 stage IV gastric cancer patients who received curative R0 gastrectomy, a total of 79 patients with LN#12 (n = 68) and/or #13 (n = 11) were identified. All patients performed gastrectomy with D2 or D3 lymph node dissection.

RESULTS

In 79 patients with LN#12/13 involvement, the estimated one-, three- and five-year survival rate was 77.2%, 41.8% and 26.6% respectively. When we compared the patients with LN#12/13 involvement to those without involvement, there was no significant difference in OS (21.0 months vs. 25.0 months, respectively; P = 0.140). However, OS was significantly longer in patients with LN#12/13 involvement only than in those with M1 lymph node involvement (14.3 months; P = 0.001). There was a significant difference in survival according to anatomic locations of the primary tumor (lower to mid-body vs. high body or whole stomach): 26.5 vs. 9.2 months (P = 0.009). In Cox proportional hazard analysis, only N stage (p = 0.002) had significance to predict poor survival.

CONCLUSION

In this study we found that curatively resected gastric cancer patients with pathologic involvement of LN #12 and/or LN #13 had favorable survival outcome, especially those with primary tumor location of mid-body to antrum. Prospective analysis of survival in gastric cancer patients with L N#12 or #13 metastasis is warranted especially with regards to primary tumor location.

The modern treatment of early gastric cancer: our experience in an Italian cohort

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been developed as treatment for early gastric cancer (EGC) by Japanese authors. However, there are no reports about its possible implementation in the Western setting. The aim of the present work is to determine the safety and efficacy of the endoscopic treatments for EGC in an Italian cohort.

METHODS

Forty-five patients for a total of 48 gastric lesions were enrolled in the study. Thirty-six EMR procedures were performed with the strip biopsy technique using a double-channel endoscope. En bloc resection refers to resection in one piece, while piecemeal refers to resections in which the lesion was removed in multiple fragments. A total of 12 ESD were performed and completed with IT knife. We define as curative treatment lateral and vertical margins of the resected specimens free of cancer and repeat endoscopic finding of no recurrent disease.

RESULTS

Out of 36 EMR procedures, 10 were piecemeal resections (28%), while 26 were en bloc (72%). ESD led to en bloc resection in 11/12 cases (92%). Histological assessment of curability in the EMR group was achieved in 56% of the cases, and in 92% of the ESD group. Mean follow-up period was 31 months (range: 12-71 months). There was no local recurrence or distant metastasis in the curative group patients.

CONCLUSIONS

These results seem to confirm the safety and the clinical efficacy of the ESD procedure in the Western world too.

Surgical treatment of gastric cancer in Latvia: results of centralized experience

BACKGROUND

Although the mortality for gastric cancer is decreasing in Western Europe and United States, it still remains high in Eastern Europe. This study was aimed at evaluating short- and long-term results of surgical treatment of gastric cancer performed in Latvia Oncology Center.

METHODS

Retrospectively collected data from 461 patients who underwent gastrectomy with curative intent in Latvia Oncology Center from January 2001 to December 2005 were analyzed statistically.

RESULTS

An average (range) of 92.2 (81-102) R0-R1 gastrectomies was performed each year. Post-operative complications occurred in 75 patients (16.3%); in-hospital mortality was 3.3%. The overall 5-year survival was 50.8%. In 444 cases (96.3%) there was histopathologic confirmation of R0-resection with a 5-year survival of 52.5% (P<0.001). Considering pT category, 5-year survival was 88.6% for pT1 patients, 65% for pT2, 42.3% for pT3 and 27% for pT4 (P<0.001). Considering pN category, 5-year survival was 67% for pN0 patients, 30% for pN1 and 29% for pN2-3 (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Clinico-pathologic characteristics of patients who underwent resection with curative intent are comparable to other Western experiences. Short- as well as long-term results are also similar if not for pN+ patients where no difference between pN1 and pN2 cases was observed.

Prognostic impact of metastatic lymph node ratio in advanced gastric cancer from cardia and fundus

AIM: To investigate the prognostic impact of the metastatic lymph node ratio (MLR) in advanced gastric cancer from the cardia and fundus.

METHODS: Two hundred and thirty-six patients with gastric cancer from the cardia and fundus who underwent D2 curative resection were analyzed retrospectively. The correlations between MLR and the total lymph nodes, positive nodes and the total lymph nodes were analyzed respectively. The influence of MLR on the survival time of patients was determined with univariate Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and multivariate Cox proportional hazard model analysis. And the multiple linear regression was used to identify the relation between MLR and the 5-year survival rate of the patients.

RESULTS: The MLR did not correlate with the total lymph nodes resected (r = -0.093, P = 0.057). The 5-year overall survival rate of the whole cohort was 37.5%. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis identified that the following eight factors influenced the survival time of the patients postoperatively: gender (χ² = 4.26, P = 0.0389), tumor size (χ² = 18.48, P < 0.001), Borrmann type (χ² = 7.41, P = 0.0065), histological grade (χ² = 5.07, P = 0.0243), pT category (χ² = 49.42, P < 0.001), pN category (χ² = 87.7, P < 0.001), total number of retrieved lymph nodes (χ² = 8.22, P = 0.0042) and MLR (χ² = 34.3, P < 0.001). Cox proportional hazard model showed that tumor size (χ² = 7.985, P = 0.018), pT category (χ² = 30.82, P < 0.001) and MLR (χ² = 69.39, P < 0.001) independently influenced the prognosis. A linear correlation between MLR and the 5-year survival was statistically significant based on the multiple linear regression (β = -0.63, P < 0.001). Hypothetically, the 5-year survival would surpass 50% when MLR was lower than 10%.

CONCLUSION: The MLR is an independent prognostic factor for patients with advanced gastric cancer from the cardia and fundus. The decrease of MLR due to adequate number of total resected lymph nodes can improve the survival.

Lymph node involvement in advanced gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma

OBJECTIVE

The prognosis of gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma is unquestionably related to the extent of nodal involvement; nonetheless, few studies deal with the pattern of lymph node spread and specifically analyze the prognostic value of the site of metastasis. The present study was aimed at evaluating these key aspects in advanced gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.

METHODS

Of 219 patients consecutively operated on for gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma at the Department of General Surgery and Surgical Oncology, University of Siena, and at the Department of General Surgery, University of Verona, 143 pT2-4 tumors not submitted to prior chemoradiation were analyzed according to the Japanese Gastric Cancer Association pN staging system.

RESULTS

The majority of patients were given diagnoses of nodal metastases (77.6%). The mean number (P = .076) and the percentage of patients with pN+ disease (P = .022) progressively increased from Siewert type I to type III tumors. Abdominal nodes were involved in all but 1 of the patients with pN+ disease; conversely, nodal metastases into the chest were 46.2% for type I, 29.5% for type II, and 9.3% for type III tumors. Survival analysis showed virtually no chance of recovery for patients with more than 6 metastatic nodes or lymph nodes located beyond the first tier.

CONCLUSIONS

In advanced gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, the high frequency of nodal metastases and the related unfavorable long-term outcome achieved by means of surgical intervention alone are indicative of the need for aggressive multimodal treatment along with surgical intervention to improve long-term results.