A Comparison of Gastric Cancer Surgery Between Japan and China

The differences in gastric cancer between East and West have been frequently discussed. However, there are few studies that have compared Japan and China in Asia.

Patient characteristics, surgical procedures and pathologic information were compared among gastric cancer patients who underwent curative-intent gastrectomy at two large volume cancer centers in China and Japan.

The median age of Japanese patients is 70 years, seven years older than those in China, and more than 25% of Japanese patients were older than 75. In China, the tumor was thicker, and lymph node metastasis was frequently observed. Total gastrectomy was more common in China (35.6% vs 21.9%). Distal gastrectomy rate was 56.0 percent in Japan, compared to 42.2 percent in China. The proportion of patients undergoing proximal gastrectomy was almost equal in China and Japan. Further analysis of the characteristics of patients undergoing total gastrectomy revealed that in China, more advanced gastric cancer patients with larger tumors and more lymph node metastasis underwent total gastrectomy, while in Japan, more early stage gastric cancer patients underwent total gastrectomy.

There are some differences in gastric cancer between Japan and China. China needs to learn from Japan by establishing some screening programs for the diagnosis and treatment of early gastric cancer.