Impact of postoperative infectious complications on adjuvant chemotherapy administration after gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of postoperative infectious complications on adjuvant chemotherapy administration in patients with gastric cancer. METHODS A retrospective review of 308 patients who underwent curative resection for gastric cancer was performed. Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence (90 patients, 29.2%) or absence (218 patients, 70.8%) of postoperative infectious complications to analyze clinicopathological characteristics, treatment factors and survival. RESULTS Fewer patients with postoperative infectious complication received adjuvant chemotherapy compared to those without postoperative infectious complication. The proportion of patients who started treatment within 6 weeks after surgery was significantly lower in patients with postoperative infectious complication. The treatment completion rate was significantly lower in patients with postoperative infectious complication. The number of treatment cycles and relative dose intensity was significantly lower in patients with postoperative infectious complication. In univariate analysis, only postoperative infectious complication was significantly associated with continuation of adjuvant chemotherapy. Multivariate analysis demonstrated tumor depth, nodal involvement, postoperative infectious complication and adjuvant chemotherapy were significantly associated with overall survival. CONCLUSION Postoperative infectious complications are significantly associated with the delay of adjuvant chemotherapy and predict adverse clinical outcome in patients with gastric cancer.