The 2024 Korean Practice Guidelines for Gastric Cancer present significant updates, particularly in systemic treatment, following a thorough review by an interdisciplinary team. Six key questions were revised, and seven statements developed based on extensive systematic reviews and recent research. The updated guidelines aim to enhance the quality of care, with recommendations categorized by evidence […]
Category: Upper Gastrointestinal Tract
Function-Preserving Gastrectomy Improves Quality of Life
Function-preserving gastrectomy (FPG) techniques, such as pylorus-preserving and proximal gastrectomy, effectively balance oncological safety while enhancing patients’ quality of life (QoL) following early gastric cancer treatment. These methods yield comparable oncological outcomes to traditional surgery and promote better nutritional recovery with fewer gastrointestinal issues. However, the adoption of FPG remains impacted by its technical complexity […]
New prognostic model enhances survival predictions for esophageal carcinoma
The study developed a novel prognostic model for overall survival in esophageal carcinoma (EC) patients, incorporating nine significant predictors, including body mass index and treatment modalities. Tested on 3,127 patients, the model achieved a c-index of 0.715 in training and 0.711 in validation cohorts. Area under the curve scores for 1, 3, and 5-year survival […]
Laparoscopic repair outperforms traditional methods for gastric ulcers.
The study reveals that laparoscopic omental patch repair (LOPR) offers significant advantages for treating Helicobacter pylori-associated gastric ulcers with perforations. Patients undergoing LOPR demonstrated reduced operative time, less intraoperative blood loss, and quicker postoperative recovery compared to those receiving the Graham patch technique. Additionally, LOPR resulted in lower rates of postoperative complications and recurrence. Overall, […]
Bolus exposure predicts symptom relief after laparoscopic surgery.
Bolus exposure demonstrated superior predictive capability for postoperative symptom resolution in patients undergoing laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication, outshining traditional acid-based parameters. In a cohort of 72 gastroesophageal reflux disease patients, its diagnostic accuracy reached 0.981 for regurgitation and 0.723 for epigastric pain. Secondary analyses in patients without pathological reflux confirmed bolus exposure’s effectiveness across various symptoms, […]
Excessive muscle loss in gastric cancer patients predicts complications
A study involving 335 gastric cancer patients undergoing radical surgery found significant declines in skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), skeletal muscle density (SMD), and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) during the perioperative period. Factors such as age ≥65 and low handgrip strength increased the risk of excessive SMI loss, while laparoscopic surgery offered protection. Notably, excessive […]
Preoperative sarcopenia significantly worsens gastric cancer surgery outcomes
An updated meta-analysis involving 11,981 gastric cancer patients revealed that preoperative sarcopenia is linked to substantial postoperative complications, including increased rates of mortality, readmission, and severe complications. Sarcopenic patients exhibited notably higher incidences of pulmonary issues, bowel obstructions, and pancreatic fistulas, leading to significantly poorer overall and disease-free survival rates. These results underscore the critical […]
Minimally invasive surgery reduces complications in gastric cancer treatment
Among 4,429 patients undergoing gastric adenocarcinoma resection (2016-2022), minimally invasive surgery (MIS) was linked to lower complication rates compared to open gastrectomy, with fewer major complications (13.1% vs. 18.5%) and reduced perioperative mortality (0.57% vs. 1.53%). Despite these benefits, MIS utilization remained stagnant, indicating a persistent preference for open surgery. Disparities in treatment access persist, […]
New Techniques Enhance Endoscopic Treatment for Gastric Tumors
Recent advancements in peroral flexible endoscopy improve approaches to managing gastric subepithelial tumors (SETs) with malignant potential. Resection techniques depend on tumor size, with options like endoscopic mucosal resection for superficial lesions and endoscopic enucleation for small tumors. When full-thickness resection is complex, laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery provides a viable alternative. High caution is […]
Predictive model developed for lymph node metastasis in early gastric cancer
A nomogram created to forecast lymph node metastasis (LNM) in submucosal early gastric cancer (EGC) shows significant predictive accuracy. Analyzing data from 389 patients, the model employs risk factors like gender, CA199 levels, and tumor traits, achieving an area under the curve of 0.82 in training and 0.74 in validation sets. This tool aims to […]