PurposeThe Korean Gastric Cancer Association (KGCA) has conducted nationwide surveys every 5 years, targeting patients who received surgical treatment for gastric cancer. We report the results of the 2014 nationwide survey and compare them to those of the 1995, 1999, 2004, and 2009 surveys.Materials and MethodsFrom March 2015 to January 2016, a standardized case report form was sent to every member of the KGCA via e-mail. The survey consisted of 29 questions, regarding patient demographics as well as tumor-, and surgery-related factors. The completed data forms were analyzed by the KGCA information committee.ResultsData on 15,613 patients were collected from 69 institutions. The mean age was 60.9±12.1 years, and the proportion of patients more than 70 years of age increased from 9.1% in 1995 to 25.3% in 2014. Proximal cancer incidence steadily increased from 11.2% in 1995 to 16.0% in 2014. Early gastric cancer incidence consistently increased and accounted for 61.0% of all cases in 2014. The surgical approach was diversified in 2014, and 7,818 cases (50.1%) were treated with a minimally invasive approach. The most common anastomosis was Billroth I (50.2%) after distal gastrectomy, and the proportion of Roux-en-Y anastomoses performed increased to 8.6%.ConclusionsThe results of this survey are expected to be important data for future studies and to be useful for generating a national cancer control program.

The trial was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01938313).

PurposeAlthough several studies report risk factors for anastomotic leakage after gastrectomy for gastric cancer, they have yielded conflicting results. The present retrospective cohort study was performed to identify risk factors that are consistently associated with anastomotic leakage after gastrectomy for stomach cancer.Materials and MethodsAll consecutive patients who underwent gastrectomy at a single gastric surgical unit between May 2003 and December 2012 were identified retrospectively. The associations between anastomotic leakage and 23 variables related to patient history, diagnosis, and surgery were assessed and analyzed with logistic regression.ResultsIn total, 3,827 patients were included. The rate of anastomotic leakage was 1.88% (72/3,827). Multiple regression analysis showed that male sex (P=0.001), preoperative/intraoperative transfusion (P<0.001), presence of cardiovascular disease (P=0.023), and tumor location (P<0.001) were predictive of anastomotic leakage. Patients with and without leakage did not differ significantly in terms of their 5-year survival: 97.6 vs. 109.5 months (P=0.076).ConclusionsMale sex, cardiovascular disease, perioperative transfusion, and tumor location in the upper third of the stomach were associated with an increased risk of anastomotic leakage. Although several studies have reported that an anastomotic complication has a negative impact on long-term survival, this association was not observed in the present study.

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