Complications after gastric cancer resection portend poor outcomes

Overall, 60% of patients without complications received adjuvant therapy, compared with 48% of patients with complications (P = .001).

In multivariate analyses conducted after a median follow-up of 35 months, patients who experienced postoperative complications still had shorter median survival (25 vs. 45 months) and were more likely to die (hazard ratio, 1.6; P = .004).

Other significant risk factors were receipt of neoadjuvant therapy, perineural invasion, and stage III or IV disease.

Dr. Fields disclosed no relevant conflicts of interest.