Prognosis and surgical treatment of gastric cancer invading adjacent organs

Background: The prognostic factors and surgical management of gastric cancer invading adjacent organs remains controversial. The aim was to provide valuable prognostic and surgical information on patients with gastric cancer invading adjacent organs. Methods: The retrospectively study included 367 patients who underwent gastric resection for gastric cancer invading adjacent organs. Clinicopathologic variables were evaluated as predictors of long-term survival by univariate and multivariate analyses. Multivariate analysis was performed using Cox's proportional hazards model. Results: The five-year survival rate was 10.1%, and median survival period was 14 months. The five-year survival rate was influenced by histologic type, lymph node metastasis, liver metastasis, peritoneal dissemination, extent of lymph node dissection and curability of operation. Of these, independent prognostic factors were lymph node metastasis (N2, N3 versus N0, N1, relative risk 2.028, P < 0.001), liver metastasis (present versus absent, relative risk 1.582, P = 0.023) and curative resection (no versus yes, relative risk 1.719, P < 0.001). A significant survival benefit for curative resection was observed with a five-year survival rate of 21.5% compared with non-curatively resected cases (5.1%). Conclusions: In patients with gastric cancer invading adjacent organs, three independent prognostic factors were lymph node metastasis, liver metastasis, and curative resection. For patients with gastric cancer invading adjacent organs, we recommend performing combined organ resection in patients with locally advanced gastric carcinoma regardless of curability.