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Evaluating Dissemination of Adequate Lymphadenectomy for Gastric Cancer in the USA

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery

Abstract

Background

Adequate lymphadenectomy (AL) of 15+ lymph nodes comprises an important component of gastric cancer surgical therapy. Despite endorsement by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and the Committee on Cancer, initial adoption of this paradigm has been relatively slow. The current analysis sought to perform an adjusted time-trend evaluation of the factors associated with AL and its dissemination.

Methods

Utilizing the 2004–2015 National Cancer Database, 28,985 patients were identified who underwent gastrectomy for adenocarcinoma. An adjusted time-trend analysis was performed to estimate the adoption of AL overall. Multivariable logistic regression was utilized to assess factors associated with these observed trends. Interactions and stratified models determined disparate effects in vulnerable populations (older adults, ethnic minorities, low socioeconomic status).

Results

The adjusted time-trend analysis demonstrated an overall 30% increase (28.8 to 58.7%) in receipt of AL (OR 1.10 increase/year; 95%CI 1.09–1.10) from 2004 to 2015. This trend persisted even after stratifying the models by age, race/ethnicity, and income (OR 1.07–1.12; p < 0.05). Slowest rates of adoption were seen amongst hospitals in the Midwest census region (OR 1.08, CI 1.06–1.90) and comprehensive community hospitals (OR 1.08, CI 1.06–1.91) and with African-American patients (OR 1.09, CI 1.06–1.11) (all p < 0.05).

Conclusion

This multi-center evaluation demonstrates increased adoption of AL during gastric cancer surgery in the USA overall and amongst vulnerable populations, although regional and racial disparities were observed. Future studies are needed to investigate reasons underlying racial and regional differences in receipt of AL.

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Acknowledgements

The data used in the study are derived from a de-identified NCDB file. The American College of Surgeons and the Commission on Cancer have not verified and are not responsible for the analytic or statistical methodology employed, or the conclusions drawn from these data by the investigator.

Funding

This work was supported by a grant from the Georgetown-Howard Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Science and The Lee Folger Foundation

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. MedStar-Georgetown Surgical Outcomes Research Center, Washington, DC, USA

    Anthony M. Villano, Alexander Zeymo, James McDermott, Andrew Crocker, Kitty S. Chan & Waddah B. Al-Refaie

  2. Department of Surgery, MedStar-Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC, USA

    Anthony M. Villano & Waddah B. Al-Refaie

  3. MedStar Health Research Institute, Hyattsville, MD, USA

    Alexander Zeymo, Kitty S. Chan & Waddah B. Al-Refaie

  4. Department of Pathology, MedStar-Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC, USA

    Jay Zeck

  5. Department of Biostatistics, Bioinformatics and Biomathematics, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA

    Nawar Shara

  6. Georgetown-Howard Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Science, Washington, DC, USA

    Nawar Shara

  7. Department of Hematology-Oncology, MedStar-Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC, USA

    Sunnie Kim

  8. Department of Surgery, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, 3800 Reservoir Rd., NW, PHC Building, 4th Floor, Washington, DC, 20007, USA

    Waddah B. Al-Refaie

Authors
  1. Anthony M. Villano
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  2. Alexander Zeymo
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  9. Waddah B. Al-Refaie
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Contributions

Villano: conception and design, acquisition/analysis/interpretation of the data, drafting/revision, final approval; Zeymo: conception and design, acquisition/analysis/interpretation of the data, drafting/revision, final approval; McDermott: interpretation of the data, drafting/revision, final approval; Crocker: interpretation of the data, drafting/revision, final approval; Zeck: interpretation of the data, drafting/revision, final approval; Chan: analysis/interpretation of the data, drafting/revision, final approval; Shara: analysis/interpretation of the data, drafting/revision, final approval; Kim: analysis/interpretation of the data, drafting/revision, final approval; Al-Refaie: conception and design, acquisition/analysis/interpretation of the data, drafting/revision, final approval.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Waddah B. Al-Refaie.

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Villano, A.M., Zeymo, A., McDermott, J. et al. Evaluating Dissemination of Adequate Lymphadenectomy for Gastric Cancer in the USA. J Gastrointest Surg 23, 2119–2128 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11605-019-04138-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11605-019-04138-8

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