Towards the centralization of digestive oncologic surgery: changes in activity, techniques and outcome

The objective of the present study was to examine changes in the activity, surgical techniques and results from the process of centralization of complex digestive oncologic surgery in 2005-2012 as compared to 1996-2000.

A retrospective cohort study employing the minimum basic data set of hospital discharge (MBDSHD 1996-2012) from public centers in Catalonia (Spain) was performed. The population consisted of individuals aged > 18 who underwent digestive oncologic surgery (esophagus, pancreas, liver, stomach or rectum). Medical centers were divided into low, medium, and high-volume centers (≤ 5, 6-10, and > 10 interventions/year, respectively). The tendency Chi-squared test was used to assess the centralization of patients in high-volume centers and hospital mortality evolution during the study period. Logistic regression was performed to assess the relationship between volume and outcome.

A centralization of complex oncologic digestive surgery between 10% (liver) and 46% (esophagus) was obtained by means of a reduction in the number of hospitals that perform these interventions and a significant rise in the number of patients operated in high-volume centers (all types p ≤ 0.0001, except for esophagus). A significant decrease in mortality was observed, especially in esophagus (from 15% in 1996/2000 to 7% in 2009/12, p = 0.003) and pancreas (from 12% in 1996/2000 to 6% in 2009/12, p trend < 0.0001).

A centralization of oncologic digestive surgery in high-volume centers and a reduction of hospital mortality in Catalonia were reported among esophageal and pancreatic cancers. However, no significant changes were found for others cancer types.