Xuewei Ding

Prognostic value of surgical margin status in gastric cancer patients

It has been reported that positive surgical margin is one of the most significant risk factors for local recurrence and poor survival. However, the survival of gastric cancer (GC) patients with positive margin is still controversial.

Positive impact of adding No.14v lymph node to D2 dissection on survival for distal gastric cancer patients after surgery with curative intent

BACKGROUND D2 lymphadenectomy has been increasingly regarded as standard surgical procedure for advanced gastric cancer (GC), while the necessity of No.14v lymph node (14v) dissection for distal GC is still controversial. METHODS A total of 920 distal GC patients receiving at least a D2 lymph node dissection in Department of Gastric Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital were enrolled in this study, of whom, 243 patients also had the 14v dissected. Other 677 patients without 14v dissection were used for comparison. RESULTS Forty-five (18.5%) patients had 14v metastasis. There was no significant difference in 3-year overall survival (OS) rate between patients with and without 14v dissection. Following stratified analysis, in TNM stages I, II, IIIa and IV, 14v dissection did not affect 3-year OS; in contrast, patients with 14v dissection had a significant higher 3-year OS than those without in TNM stages IIIb and IIIc. In multivariate analysis, 14v dissection was found to be an independent prognostic factor for GC patients with TNM stage IIIb/IIIc disease [hazard ratio (HR), 1.568; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.186-2.072; P=0.002]. GC patients with 14v dissection had a significant lower locoregional, especially lymph node, recurrence rate than those without 14v dissection (11.7% vs. 21.1%, P=0.035). CONCLUSIONS Adding 14v to D2 lymphadenectomy may be associated with improved 3-year OS for distal GC staged TNM IIIb/IIIc.

Risk factors for metastasis to No.14v lymph node and prognostic value of 14v status for gastric cancer patients after surgery

Background D2 procedure has been accepted as the standard lymphadenectomy for advanced GC, while the role of No.14v lymph node (14v) dissection for distal GC is still controversial. Methods A total of 284 GC patients receiving D2 plus 14v dissection in our center were enrolled. Patients were categorized into two groups based on 14v status: positive group (PG) and negative group (NG). Clinicopathological factors correlated with 14v metastasis and prognostic variables were respectively analyzed. Results Thirty-five patients (12.3%) had 14v metastasis. Metastasis to No.4d and No.6 lymph node were independent variables affecting 14v metastasis. Patients with positive 14v had a significant lower 3-year overall survival (OS) rate than those without (3-year OS: 42.9% vs. 70.3%, P < 0.001). Multivariable analysis demonstrated that 14v status was an independent prognostic factor for III stage GC (hazard ratio 1.462, 95% confident interval: 1.182-2.309, P = 0.027). The prognosis of 14v positive patients correlated with tumor size and No.6 lymph node status in univariate analysis. Conclusion GC patients with No.4d and No.6 lymph node metastasis were more likely to have positive 14v. Status of 14v was an independent prognostic factor for III stage GC. Patients with 14v metastasis usually had a poorer prognosis, while survival in such patients after curative surgery was similar to that of patients staged IIIc without 14v metastasis.

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.

Satisfactory surgical outcome of T2 gastric cancer after modified D2 lymphadenectomy

Objective Though D2 lymphadenectomy has been increasingly regarded as standard surgical procedure for advanced gastric cancer (GC), the modified D2 (D1 + 7, 8a and 9) lymphadenectomy may be more suitable than D2 dissection for T2 stage GC. The purpose of this study is to elucidate whether the surgical outcome of modified D2 lymphadenectomy was comparable to that of standard D2 dissection in T2 stage GC patients. Methods A retrospective cohort study with 77 cases and 77 controls matched for baseline characteristics was conducted. Patients were categorized into two groups according to the extent of lymphadenectomy: the modified D2 group (mD2) and the standard D2 group (D2). Surgical outcome and recurrence date were compared between the two groups. Results The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 71.4% for patients accepted mD2 lymphadenectomy and 70.1% for those accepted standard D2, respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant. Multivariate survival analysis revealed that curability, tumor size, TNM stage and postoperative complications were independently prognostic factors for T2 stage GC patients. Patients in the mD2 group tended to have less intraoperative blood loss (P=0.001) and shorter operation time (P<0.001) than those in the D2 group. While there were no significant differences in recurrence rate and types, especially lymph node recurrence, between the two groups. Conclusions The surgical outcome of mD2 lymphadenectomy was equal to that of standard D2, and the use of mD2 instead of standard D2 can be a better option for T2 stage GC.