Aim: To compare long-term results of gastric cancer patients undergoing laparoscopic and open gastrectomy in a single unit.
Methods: From February 2000 to September 2004, all patients with adenocarcinoma of the stomach were assessed to entry in this longitudinal prospective non-randomized trial. Primary endpoint was cancer-related survival and secondary endpoints were overall survival, evaluation of surgical complications and mortality.
Results: Fifty-eight patients were enrolled. Forty-seven patients were followed-up (range 11-103, median 38 mo). Four patients were lost at follow up. Twenty-two patients underwent a laparoscopic gastric surgery (LGS) and 25 had a standard open procedure (OGS). No statistical difference was found between the two groups in terms of 5 years cancer-related mortality rate (50% vs 52%, P = 1), and 5 years overall mortality rate (54.5% vs 56%, P = 1). Accordingly, cancer-related and overall survival probability by Kaplan-Meier method showed comparable results (P = 0.81 and P = 0.83, respectively). We found no differences in surgical complications in the 2 groups. There was no conversion to open surgery in this series.
Conclusion: LGS is as effective as OGS in the management of advanced gastric cancer. However LGS cannot be recommended routinely over OGS for the treatment of advanced gastric cancer.
Keywords: Advanced gastric cancer; Laparoscopic cancer surgery; Laparoscopy; Long-term outcomes; Survival.