A shorter distal resection margin is a surrogate marker of nodal metastasis and poor prognosis in distal gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer

Abstract

Abstract Background Although a 3–5 cm surgical margin distance is recommended for advanced gastric cancer (GC) in Japanese guidelines, little is known about the clinical effects of the surgical margin, especially the distal resection margin (DM). This study aims to clarify the clinical significance of DM in GC. Methods A total of 415 GC patients who underwent curative distal gastrectomy between 2008 and 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. Results The DM significantly stratified recurrence-free survival (P = 0.002), and a DM 50 mm), the number (P < 0.001, 1.42 ± 1.69 vs. 1.18 ± 1.80 vs. 0.18 ± 0.64), the positive rate (P < 0.001, 59.0% vs. 46.7% vs. 11.3%) and therapeutic value index (43.3 vs. 14.5 vs. 8.0) were significantly higher in the DM < 30 mm group. By subdivision using the DM distance of 30 mm, more segmented prognostic stratifications were possible (P < 0.001). Conclusions A DM of less than 30 mm could be a surrogate marker of poor RFS, especially increasing nodal recurrence. More intensive treatment strategies, including lymphadenectomy and chemotherapy, are needed for patients with this condition.

Keywords

• Distal surgical margin
• Recurrence-free survival
• Lymph node metastasis
• Gastric cancer