Outcomes of laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer in elderly patients.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare the short- and longterm outcomes of elderly and middle-aged patients with gastric cancer who underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy. METHODS: From January 2010 to February 2017, a total of 75 patients with gastric cancer aged ≥70 years (elderly group) underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy, and their short- and long-term outcomes were compared with those of 197 patients with gastric cancer aged 60-69 years (middleaged group) who underwent also laparoscopic gastrectomy during the same period. RESULTS: With respect to the patients' preoperative baseline characteristics, the elderly group had a higher Charlson comorbidity index score, rate of previous abdominal operations, and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification score compared to middle-aged patient group. There were no significant differences in the other baseline characteristics. There were no significant between-groups differences in the duration of surgery, intraoperative blood loss, incidence and severity of 30-day postoperative complications, and pathological results. Long-term follow-up results showed that the tumor recurrence rates were similar between groups, as were the overall (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates. Multivariate analysis showed that age was not an independent predictor of OS and DFS. CONCLUSION: In summary, laparoscopic gastrectomy in elderly patients with gastric cancer can achieve similar short- and long-term outcomes as those for middle-aged patients. Age is thus not a contraindication for laparoscopic gastrectomy.

Retraction Note: Effects of Bariatric Surgery on Incidence of Obesity-Related Cancers: A Meta-Analysis.

In the article entitled, "Effects of Bariatric Surgery on Incidence of Obesity-Related Cancers: A Meta-Analysis" which was published in Medical Science Monitor 2015;21: 1350-1357, sections in the text have been directly copied from a previously published article, entitled, "The Effects of Bariatric Surgery on Colorectal Cancer Risk: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis", Sorena Afshar, Seamus B. Kelly, Keith Seymour, Jose Lara, Sean Woodcock, John C. Mathers  in Obesity Surgery 2014; 24(10):1793-1799. Thus owing to duplicity of text, the article is being retracted. Reference: 1. Xiang-wu Yang, Peng-zhou Li, Li-yong Zhu, Shaihong Zhu Effects of Bariatric Surgery on Incidence of Obesity-Related Cancers: A Meta-Analysis Medical Science Monitor 2015;21: 1350-1357 DOI: 10.12659/MSM.893553.

Effects of bariatric surgery on incidence of obesity-related cancers: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate possible relationships between bariatric surgery and incidence of obesity-related cancers. Obesity is an established risk factor for obesity-related cancers but the effects of bariatric surgery on incidence of obesity-related cancers are uncertain. MATERIAL/METHODS: We searched 4 electronic databases to identify eligible studies: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Five observational studies were eligible and included in this meta-analysis. Random-effects or fixed-effects odds ratio (OR) and its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were pooled. RESULTS: Meta-analysis of these 5 observational studies revealed that bariatric surgery was associated with a significantly (p=0.0004) reduced incidence of obesity-related cancers (OR=0.43, 95%CI, 0.27-0.69) when compared with control individuals. Pooled estimated data showed that bariatric surgery is associated with a 24% lower colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. No publication bias was detected by Egger's or Begg's tests. CONCLUSIONS: Although bariatric surgery may significantly reduce incidence of obesity-related cancers, considering the limitations of these included studies, these findings should be confirmed by further well-designed studies.