Locoregional relapse after gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer

Risk for and site of locoregional relapse have not been well studied in patients undergoing gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer.

Patients who had undergone gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer between 2004 and 2007 were identified from an institutional database. The locoregional relapse rate was estimated by competing risk analysis, and risk groups were derived according to locoregional relapse risk using recursive partitioning analysis (RPA). The locations of nodal relapses were evaluated according to Japanese Classification of Gastric Carcinoma criteria.

Some 2618 patients were included. With a median follow-up of 78·0 (range 28·5-122·6) months, relapse was diagnosed in 471 of 2618 patients (18·0 per cent). The cumulative incidence of locoregional relapse at 5 years was 8·5 (95 per cent c.i. 7·4 to 9·6) per cent. The 5-year locoregional recurrence rates for high-risk (N3), intermediate-risk (N1-2) and low-risk (N0) groups were 32·4, 12·3 and 1·7 per cent respectively (P < 0·001). Among patients with regional relapse, 90·4 per cent had involvement outside the D2 dissected area, and the most commonly involved site was station 16b1. This pattern was maintained in the RPA risk groups (P = 0·329).

Locoregional relapse at 5 years after gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy was 8·5 per cent, and was most often seen outside the D2 dissected area.