Comparison of two five-year periods (1996–2000 and 2001–2005) for surgical treatment of patients with gastric cancer

Background The incidence of gastric cancer decreased markedly over the last decades and the same tendency is observed in Hungary. Improvement of the diagnostic process and perioperative management seems to be evidence but the clinical benefit for the individual case is still questionable.

Patients and methods The clinical experiences of 330 patients presented with gastric cancer were analyzed. Age, sex, histology reports, TNM staging, type of the surgical interventions, the postoperative morbidity and mortality rate were presented.

Results Potentially curative resection could be performed in 63% (99/158) and 58% (106/182) between 1996–2000 and 2001–2005 respectively. Total gastrectomy and distal gastrectomy s Billroth II were preferred in both periods. Hospital stay decreased from 19.5 days to 11 days in the second period. TNM stage and the rate of intestinal type and diffuse type of gastric cancer remained unchanged with time. Overall morbidity rates were 19.2% and 10%, mortality rates were 4.9% and 7.1%, respectively.

Conclusions We could not observe significant changes in term of patient's number and the tumor's characteristics during the last ten years. In spite of the new, more sophisticated diagnostic methods and better endoscopic background, the majority of the patients with gastric cancer have been diagnosed in advanced phase of the malignant process. Shorter hospital stay is a consequence of planned preoperative investigations, successful collaboration with the gastroenterologist and introduction of quality management protocols.