Laparoscopic gastrectomy for locally advanced gastric carcinoma: long-term survival outcomes and prognostic factors

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term outcomes of laparoscopic gastrectomy for patients with locally advanced gastric carcinoma. Of the 113 patients with locally advanced gastric carcinoma, 89 patients underwent laparoscopic total gastrectomy, while 24 patients underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy. There were no intraoperative or postoperataive 30-day death occurred. The 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates were 64% and 57% respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that pathological T status, pathological N status, tumor size and cancer cell differentiation status were statistically significant factors affecting overall survival. Earlier pathological T status and earlier pathological N status were significantly predictive for longer overall survival by multivariate analysis. In summary, laparoscopic gastrectomy can be considered as an alternative to traditional incision in patients with locally advanced gastric carcinoma. A prospective randomized controlled study on a larger scale is required to reach definitive conclusions regarding the efficacy of laparoscopic gastrectomy relative to other techniques.