Surgical margins in gastric cancer T2 and T3 and its relationship with recurrence and overall survival at 5 years

Abstract

Introduction: Surgical resection is the potentially curative treatment in gastric cancer. However, definitive surgical margins are controversial.

Material and methods: We conducted a retrospective, observational study. All patients with gastric cancer treated with surgery of T2 and T3, tumors without involvement of the esophagogastric junction and without neoadjuvant treatment were included.

Results: A total of 70 patients were included. 44 men (62.9%) and 26 women (37.1%). In multivariate analysis, depth of the invasion (T2 vs T3), lymphadenectomy and more than 5 positive nodes were independent factors for recurrence at 5 years. Depth of the invasion (T2 vs T3), intra-abdominal metastases and recurrence were independent factors of overall survival at 5 years. ROC analysis did not show a definitive surgical margin with better 5-year overall survival and lower recurrence.

Conclusions: In patients with gastric cancer T2 and T3, surgical margin did not affect 5-year overall survival or recurrence rate. Other factors are associated with recurrence and 5-year overall survival at 5 years, regardless of the distance from the tumor to the margin.

Keywords: Gastric cancer; Recurrence; Surgical margin; Survival.