Lifestyle choices influence long-term survival post-gastric cancer surgery

A population-based study of 71,014 gastric cancer patients revealed that lifestyle behaviors significantly impact long-term mortality after curative gastrectomy, despite not affecting late recurrence. Notably, current underweight status and continued smoking increased mortality risk, while regular physical activity and maintaining a higher BMI post-surgery correlated with reduced mortality. Among the cohort, 8.1% experienced late recurrence, primarily influenced by age and surgical type, emphasizing the importance of lifestyle modifications for improving survival outcomes.