Prognostic Factors of Patients With Transmural Advanced Gastric Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to evaluate perioperative morbidity, mortality and the prognostic factors that influence survival of the patients with transmural advanced gastric carcinoma after curative surgical therapy. METHODS: Fifty patients with transmural advanced gastric adenocarcinoma underwent curative resection in our clinic. The records of the patients were reviewed and the prognostic factors such as age, gender, location and size of the tumor, type of surgery, blood transfusion, depth of tumor invasion, lymph node metastases, stage of the disease, grading, vascular invasion, lymph vessel invasion, characteristics of the tumor according to Lauren's classification, and lymph node ratio were evaluated by using statistical methods. RESULTS: In a total of 12 patients (24%) major morbidities developed, and five patients (10%) died. The overall survival rate was 48% at 1 year, 31% at 3 years, and 19% at 5 years. Lymph node metastases (P = 0.03), lymph vessel invasion (P = 0.001), blood transfusion (P = 0.021), and lymph node ratio (P = 0.006) were the prognostic features identified by univariate analysis. Among the multiple significant prognostic factors in the univariate analysis only one factor, lymph node ratio, proved to be independently significant in the multivariate analysis (RR: 4.47). CONCLUSIONS: Our data showed that we can expect a good survival for patients with a lymph node ratio less than 0.2.

Surgical treatment of hepatic injury: morbidity and mortality analysis of 109 cases.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We aimed to determine the factors that affect morbidity and mortality in patients that underwent surgery for hepatic injury. METHODOLOGY: Records of 109 blunt or penetrating hepatic trauma patients that underwent surgery in the Third Surgical Clinic of Izmir Atattürk Training and Research Hospital between 1994 and 2004 were reviewed retrospectively. Evaluated parameters were: age, gender, cause of injury, diagnostic procedures, preoperative blood pressure (BP), hemoglobin (Hb) level, amount of intraabdominal blood, associated injuries, the number of involved hepatic segments and anatomic distribution, severity of injury, abdominal trauma index (ATI), amount of blood transfusions, type of surgery, hospital stay, and rates of morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: Median age of the patients was 29 years. The injury was penetrating in 53.2% of the patients and blunt in 46.8%. Abdominal blood was 500cc or less in 70 (64.2%) patients. Isolated hepatic injury was encountered in 29 (26.6%) cases. 22.9% of the patients had major injuries. Hemostasis was achieved by electrocautery, sponge-gel, primary suturing, hepatic resection or perihepatic packing. Morbidity and mortality rates were 40.4% and 14.6% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Age, type of the injury, BP and Hb levels, amount of intraabdominal blood, degree of injury, ATI, and accompanying organ injuries significantly affect morbidity and/or mortality.

Survival analysis after surgical treatment of gastric cancer: review of 121 cases.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study was performed to evaluate major morbidity, early mortality and to analyze survival in our patients that underwent surgical treatment for gastric cancer. METHODOLOGY: Records of 121 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma that underwent surgery between 1997 and 2004 were reviewed retrospectively. Age, gender, tumor site, presence of local invasion, depth of tumor invasion, lymph node metastases, stage of the disease, distant metastases, histological differentiation, type of surgery, and blood transfusions were evaluated in relation to survival. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and the differences in survival were compared by the log-rank test. RESULTS: Forty-two cases (34.7%) underwent total gastrectomy, 34 (28.1%) had subtotal gastrectomy, and 45 (37.2%) received palliative surgery. The majority of the patients (61.2%) had stage IV gastric cancer. Total morbidity and mortality were 26.4% and 17.3%, respectively. The factors that influence survival were type of surgery, adjacent organ invasion, existence of metastases, lymph node status, blood transfusions, and stage of the disease in this study. Among the significant prognostic factors in the univariate analysis, only one factor, R0 resection proved to be independently significant in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: R0 resection was found to have a significant favorable effect on survival in our study.

Palliative surgery for advanced stage (stage IV) gastric adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The factors that effect resectability, major morbidity, early mortality, and survival in advanced stage gastric adenocarcinoma patients are evaluated. METHODOLOGY: Records of 74 patients that underwent surgery for stage IV gastric adenocarcinoma in the Third Surgical Clinic of Izmir Atatürk Training Hospital between January 1997 and January 2004 were reviewed retrospectively. Two groups (the patients with resectable disease and those with unresectable disease) were compared with regard to age, gender, primary complaint, symptoms, site of the tumor, involvement of adjacent organs, lymph node involvement, distant metastases, differentiation of tumor, surgical procedure, perioperative blood transfusions, and postoperative hospital stay. RESULTS: Mean age of the 74 patients was 58.4 years. Forty-five cases (60.8%) were considered as unresectable and 29 (39.2%) patients underwent a palliative resection. There was a significant relation between resectability and site of the tumor, and severity of invasion. As the number of perioperative blood transfusions increased, morbidity and mortality increased significantly. Although early mortality was high in the palliative resection group, survival (mean 10.4 months, longest 25 months) was better compared to that of the unresectable gastric cancer group (mean 3.5 months, longest eight months). CONCLUSIONS: A palliative gastric surgery may be applied to improve prognosis of advanced gastric cancer patients, even at the presence of peritoneal dissemination, hepatic metastases, N3 lymph node involvement, adjacent organ invasion, or poor differentiation of the tumor.

Total gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Gastric cancer is one of the most common organ cancers all around the world and surgical resection is essential for treatment. Total gastrectomy is the procedure of choice for treatment of proximal gastric cancer. Mortality and morbidity risks of this procedure are high, especially among the elderly. METHODOLOGY: Thirty-eight gastric cancer patients underwent total gastrectomy in the Third Surgical Clinic of Izmir Ataturk Training and Research Hospital between 1996 and 2001. Age, gender, location of the tumor, histopathological findings, TNM stage, type of anastomosis, operation time, blood transfusions, oral food intake, postoperative hospital stay, morbidity, mortality both early and late, and survival rate were evaluated. RESULTS: Mean age of the patients was 59.5 years (22-85 years). Sites of the tumors were: cardia 28.9%, cardia and corpus 15.8%, corpus 34.3%, corpus and antrum 18.4%, linitis plastica 2.6%. Histological types were adenocarcinoma (97.4%), and squamous cell carcinoma (2.6%). TNM stages were: stage la 2.6%, stage II 7.9%, stage IIIa 39.5%, stage IIIb 42.1%, and stage IV 7.9%. Esophagojejunostomies were performed manually (34.3%) or by circular staplers (65.7%). Operation time ranged between 3 and 6.5 hours. Gastric tubes were removed on the fourth postoperative day. Average postoperative hospital stay was 12.9 days. Postoperative morbidity was 21%. Wound infection occurred in three patients (7.9%), pulmonary infection occurred in two patients (5.2%) and anastomotic stricture developed in three patients (7.9%). Hospital mortality was 20%. Anastomotic leak occurred in five cases (13.2%) and all died on days 8, 13, 14, 26, and 30. Three patients (7.9%) died of cardiac complications on days 1, 5, and 29. Twelve patients survived for less than one year and eight patients survived for one to two years. Average survival was 10.5 months for 20 out of 30 patients (median 8 months). Ten patients are still alive after 14.3 months. Four patients have been living for less than one year, another four patients for one to two years, and two patients for more than two years. CONCLUSIONS: Total gastrectomy, either performed with a curative or palliative aim, is a safe procedure with acceptable mortality rates. 89.5% of our cases were stage III or IV resulting in a low survival rate. Longer survival rates can be achieved in patients with comparatively earlier stages.

Primary tumors of the small bowel: diagnosis, treatment and prognostic factors.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The neoplasms of the small intestine are rare and the preoperative diagnosis is difficult. The aim of this study is to review difficulties in diagnosis, treatment options and important prognostic factors. METHODOLOGY: Fifteen patients who underwent surgical resection for intestinal tumors from 1990 to 2000 in the Third Surgical Clinic of Izmir Atatürk Training and Research Hospital were reviewed retrospectively. Age, symptoms, diagnostic methods, operative procedures, and their effects on prognosis were evaluated. RESULTS: Seven patients were male and eight were female. The mean age was 52.3 years (27-77). Eight patients underwent urgent intervention and seven had elective surgery. Three cases were diagnosed as small bowel tumor preoperatively. The radical resection of the small bowel neoplasm was possible in 12 patients (80%), eight of whom being malignant and four of whom being leiomyoma. Three patients with leiomyoma are still alive for 3.5, 6 and 9 years but one patient died perioperatively because of respiratory distress syndrome. Two cases with lymphoma survived for 16 and 37 months while another two have been still alive for 7 and 8 years. The patients who had malignant epithelial tumor, leiomyosarcoma, and malignant mesenchymal tumor survived for 17, 54, and 20 months, respectively. The patient with malignant tumor of endocrine origin has still been living for 3 years. CONCLUSIONS: As a result we concluded that better evaluation of signs and symptoms may facilitate the diagnosis; and the most important prognostic factors are early diagnosis and radical surgery.