Tumor deposit serves as a prognostic marker in gastric cancer: A propensity score-matched analysis comparing survival outcomes.

BACKGROUND

Gastric cancer (GC) treatment is determined by accurate tumor staging. The value of tumor deposit (TD) in prognostic prediction staging system is not yet determined.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed clinical information on GC patients who underwent gastrectomy at the Department of General Surgery of the Chinese PLA General Hospital from July 2014 to June 2016. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to reduce the possibility of selection bias according to the presence of TD.

RESULTS

Of the 1034 GC patients, 240 (23.21%) presented with TD, which was associated with younger age and larger tumor size (all P < .05). TD-positive patients had a worse survival than TD-negative patients before (P < .001) and after (P = .017) matching. Multivariable analysis showed that mortality risk of patients with TD increased by 58%, 62%, 37%, and 40% in the crude (HR = 1.58, 95% CI 1.32-1.89, P < .001), adjusted I (HR = 1.62, 95% CI 1.35-1.94, P < .001), adjusted II (HR = 1.37, 95% CI 1.13-1.66, P = .001), and adjusted III (HR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.16-1.68, P < .001) models before matching. Similarly, in the PSM cohort patients with TD had worse prognosis in the crude (HR = 1.32, 95% CI 1.07-1.63, P = .011), adjusted I (HR = 1.35, 95% CI 1.09-1.67, P = .005), adjusted II (HR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.00-1.58, P = .049), and adjusted III (HR = 1.33, 95% CI 1.07-1.65, P = .010) models. TD had a similar value range between N1 and N2 stages among different models.

CONCLUSIONS

Among GC patients, TD is associated with survival and may have a role in the staging of patients.