1. ¹Department of Surgery, Royal Gwent Hospital, Cardiff Road, Newport NP20 2UB, UK
2. ²Department of Gastroenterology, Royal Gwent Hospital, Cardiff Road, Newport NP20 2UB, UK
3. ³Department of Surgery, Nevill Hall Hospital, Brecon Road, Abergavenny NP7 7EG, UK

Correspondence: Mr WG Lewis, E-mail: wyn.lewis@gwent.wales.nhs.uk

Revised 9 December 2003; Accepted 18 February 2004; Published online 4 May 2004.

Abstract

To compare the outcomes after D1 gastrectomy with those after modified D2 gastrectomy (preserving pancreas and spleen) performed by specialist surgeons for gastric cancer in a large UK NHS Trust. In all, 118 consecutive patients with gastric adenocarcinoma were referred by postcode, to undergo either a D1 gastrectomy (North Gwent (RJ), n=36, median age 76 years, 21 m) or a modified D2 gastrectomy (South Gwent (WL), n=82, 70 years, 57 m). Operative mortality in the two groups of patients was similar (D1 8.3% vs D2 7.3%, ² 0.286, DF 1, P=0.593). Overall cumulative survival at 5 years was 32% after D1 gastrectomy compared to 59% after D2 gastrectomy (² 4.25, DF 1, P=0.0392). In patients with stage III cancers, survival was 8% after D1, compared with 33% after D2 gastrectomy (² 6.43, DF 1, P=0.0112). In a multivariate analysis, T stage (hazard ratio 2.339, 95% CI 1.683–2.995, P=0.01), N stage (hazard ratio 4.026, 95% CI 3.536–4.516, P=0.0001) and the extent of lymphadenectomy (hazard ratio 0.258, 95% CI –0.426–0.942, P=0.0001) were independently associated with durations of survival. In conclusion, modified D2 gastrectomy can improve survival four-fold for patients with stage III gastric cancer, without significantly increasing morbidity and mortality when compared with a D1 gastrectomy.