Improvement of the prognosis of gastric cancer with extensive serosal invasion using left upper abdominal evisceration.

Background/Aims: The prognosis of gastric cancer patients with serosal invasion is very poor. In this study, the effectiveness of the LUAE (left upper abdominal evisceration) procedure for these patients was evaluated retrospectively. Methodology: Thirty-seven gastric cancer patients who had serosal invasion but no massive peritoneal metastasis or hepatic metastasis, and underwent LUAE, were enrolled in this study (LUAE group). As a control, 66 gastric cancer patients who had the same disease conditions as the LUAE group, and underwent conventional total gastrectomy with the combined resection of the pancreatic body and tail and spleen (TPS group), were also investigated. Results: The survival rate (5-year, 42.2%) of the LUAE group was significantly better than that (5-year, 21.2%) of the TPS group (P=0.009). Although D4 super-extended lymphadenectomy and intraperitoneal chemotherapy during surgery was performed tnore frequently in the LUAE group than those in the TPS group, multivariate analysis demonstrated that the LUAE procedure was a better independent prognostic factor. Conclusions: The LUAE procedure in combination with D4 super-extended lymphadenectomy and intraperitoneal chemotherapy improved the prognosis of gastric cancer patients with extensive serosal invasion.