Early detection of infectious complications post-gastric cancer surgery

Elevated interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels in serum and drainage fluid indicate infectious complications following minimally invasive gastric cancer surgery. Among 205 patients, pod 1 serum IL-6 levels above 47 pg/ml exhibited 74.1% sensitivity, while drainage fluid IL-6 levels over 14,750 pg/ml demonstrated 100% sensitivity for intra-abdominal abscess detection. These findings suggest that IL-6 measurement on postoperative day 1 can effectively identify potential infections early.