Clinicopathologic features of gastric carcinoma patients who undergo a total gastrectomy

Epidemiologic studies show a continued increase in the number of total gastrectomies (TGs) performed. We compared the clinicopathologic features and outcomes of patients who underwent a TG to those who received a distal gastrectomy (DG). Cases of 696 patients treated with TG were reviewed retrospectively. Multivariate analysis showed that age, tumor size, presence of serosal invasion, lymph node metastasis, and curability were significant prognostic factors for survival of patients who had a TG. The 5-year survival rate of patients who underwent a TG (39.5%) was lower than that of those receiving a DG (56.1%; P < 0.001). Patients who underwent a TG had a poor prognosis, which was mainly due to its more-advanced stage compared to that of patients who received a DG. Early detection is important for improving the prognosis.