Tailoring the Use of Central Pancreatectomy Through Prediction Models for Major Morbidity and Postoperative Diabetes: International Retrospective Multicenter Study.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a prediction model for major morbidity and endocrine dysfunction after CP which could help in tailoring the use of this procedure. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Central pancreatectomy (CP) is a parenchyma-sparing alternative to distal pancreatectomy for symptomatic benign and pre-malignant tumors in body and neck of the pancreas CP lowers the risk of new-onset diabetes and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency compared to distal pancreatectomy but it is thought to increase the risk of short-term complications including postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF). METHODS: International multicenter retrospective cohort study including patients from 51 centers in 19 countries (2010-2021). Primary endpoint was major morbidity. Secondary endpoints included POPF grade B/C, endocrine dysfunction, and the use of pancreatic enzymes. Two risk model were designed for major morbidity and endocrine dysfunction utilizing multivariable logistic regression and internal and external validation. RESULTS: 838 patients after CP were included (301 (36%) minimally invasive) and major morbidity occurred in 248 (30%) patients, POPF B/C in 365 (44%), and 30-day mortality in 4 (1%). Endocrine dysfunction in 91 patients (11%) and use of pancreatic enzymes in 108 (12%). The risk model for major morbidity included male sex, age, BMI, and ASA score≥3. The model performed acceptable with an area under curve (AUC) of 0.72(CI:0.68-0.76). The risk model for endocrine dysfunction included higher BMI and male sex and performed well (AUC:0.83 (CI:0.77-0.89)). CONCLUSIONS: The proposed risk models help in tailoring the use of CP in patients with symptomatic benign and premalignant lesions in the body and neck of the pancreas and are readily available via www.pancreascalculator.com.

Surgical strategies for chronic pancreatitis in a 1,327- patient Scandinavian Baltic pancreatic Club (SBPC) register.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pancreatitis (CP) may cause intermittent or continuous pain and complications requiring invasive interventions. No specific recommendations for surgical interventions have been presented. Our aim was to determine the surgical treatment strategies for the treatment of CP in the Scandinavian and Baltic countries. METHODS: This multi-centre cross sectional study included 1327 CP patients from eight centres. The data was gathered from the Scandinavian Baltic Pancreatic Club (SBPC) database. Patients who underwent pancreatic surgery were analysed. The baseline CP population from the eight centres was used as a reference. The information registered included comorbidities, pancreatic function, previous interventions, time and type of surgery and the EORTC-30 quality of life (QOL) questionnaire. RESULTS: Overall, 95/1327 (7%) patients underwent pancreatic surgery. Fifty-one (54%) of these underwent pancreatic surgery for chronic pain (PSCP) and formed the final study group. Median follow-up time was two (range 0-8) years after surgery and seven (1-46) years after diagnosis. The most common surgical procedures were pancreatic resection combined with drainage (54%) followed by pancreatic resections (32%) and drainage procedures (14%). Postoperatively, 47% of the patients were pain free with or without pain medication while 16% had chronic pain episodes, this did not differ from the base CP population. In QOL questionnaires, PSCP patients reported the same QOL but worse social functioning and more symptoms compared to the CP population. CONCLUSIONS: Pancreatic surgery for CP is rare: surgical procedures were performed on only 7% of the CP patients in the SBPC database. In half of the patients the indication was pain. Most of these patients underwent endoscopic procedures before surgery. Half of the patients reported being pain-free after surgery.

Postoperative Hypophosphatemia as a Prognostic Factor for Postoperative Pancreatic Fistula: A Systematic Review.

Background and Objectives: Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is one of the most challenging complications after pancreatic resections, associated with prolonged hospital stay and high mortality. Early identification of pancreatic fistula is necessary for the treatment to be effective. Several prognostic factors have been identified, although it is unclear which one is the most crucial. Some studies show that post-pancreatectomy hypophosphatemia may be associated with the development of POPF. The aim of this systematic review was to determine whether postoperative hypophosphatemia can be used as a prognostic factor for postoperative pancreatic fistula. Materials and Methods: The systematic literature review was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses recommendations (PRISMA) and was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO). The PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science databases were systematically searched up to the 31st of January 2022 for studies analyzing postoperative hypophosphatemia as a prognostic factor for POPF. Data including study characteristics, patient characteristics, operation type, definitions of postoperative hypophosphatemia and postoperative pancreatic fistula were extracted. Results: Initially, 149 articles were retrieved. After screening and final assessment, 3 retrospective studies with 2893 patients were included in this review. An association between postoperative hypophosphatemia and POPF was found in all included studies. Patients undergoing distal pancreatectomy were more likely to develop severe hypophosphatemia compared to patients undergoing proximal pancreatectomy. Serum phosphate levels on postoperative day 4 (POD 4) and postoperative day 5 (POD 5) remained significantly lower in patients who developed leak-related complications showing a slower recovery of hypophosphatemia from postoperative day 3 (POD 3) through postoperative day 7 (POD 7). Moreover, body mass index (BMI) higher than 30 kg/m2, soft pancreatic tissue, abnormal white blood cell count on postoperative day 3 (POD 3), and shorter surgery time were associated with leak-related complications (LRC) and lower phosphate levels. Conclusions: Early postoperative hypophosphatemia might be used as a prognostic biomarker for early identification of postoperative pancreatic fistula. However, more studies are needed to better identify significant cut-off levels of postoperative hypophosphatemia and development of hypophosphatemia in the postoperative period.

Editorial for the Special Issue "Acute and Chronic Pancreatitis, Pancreatic Malignancies".

Pancreatic diseases, especially acute pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer, are associated with high rates of complications, difficult treatment that may not always be effective, and high mortality in complex cases [...].

The essential requirements for an HPB centre to deliver high-quality outcomes.

The concept of a centre approach to the treatment of patients with complex disorders, such as those with hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) diseases, is widely applied, although what is needed for an HPB centre to achieve high-quality outcomes remains unclear. We therefore conducted a literature review, which highlighted the paucity of information linking centre structure or process to outcome data outside of caseloads, specialisation, and quality of training. We then conducted an international survey among the largest 107 HPB centres with experts in HPB surgery and found that most responders work in 'virtual' HPB centres without dedicated space, assigned beds, nor personal. We finally analysed our experience with the Swiss HPB centre, previously reported in this journal 15 years ago, disclosing that budget priorities set by the hospital administration may prevent the development of a fully integrated centre, for example through inconsistent assignment of the centre's beds to HBP patients or removal of dedicated intermediate care beds. We propose criteria for essential requirements for an HPB centre to deliver high-quality outcomes, with the concept of "centre of reference" limited to actual, as opposed to virtual, centres.

Volume, but Not the Location of Necrosis, Is Associated with Worse Outcomes in Acute Pancreatitis: A Prospective Study.

Background and Objectives: The course and clinical outcomes of acute pancreatitis (AP) are highly variable. Up to 20% of patients develop pancreatic necrosis. Extent and location of it might affect the clinical course and management. The aim was to determine the clinical relevance of the extent and location of pancreatic necrosis in patients with AP. Materials and Methods: A cohort of patients with necrotizing AP was collected from 2012 to 2018 at the Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. Patients were allocated to subgroups according to the location (entire pancreas, left and right sides of pancreas) and extent (<30%, 30−50%, >50%) of pancreatic necrosis. Patients were reviewed for demographic features, number of performed surgical interventions, local and systemic complications, hospital stay and mortality rate. All contrast enhanced computed tomography (CECT) scans were evaluated by at least two experienced abdominal radiologists. All patients were treated according to the standard treatment protocol based on current international guidelines. Results: The study included 83 patients (75.9% males (n = 63)) with a mean age of 53 ± 1.7. The volume of pancreatic necrosis exceeded 50% in half of the patients (n = 42, 51%). Positive blood culture (n = 14 (87.5%)), multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (n = 17 (73.9%)) and incidences of respiratory failure (n = 19 (73.1%)) were significantly more often diagnosed in patients with pancreatic necrosis exceeding 50% (p < 0.05). Patients with >50% of necrosis were significantly (p < 0.05) more often diagnosed with moderately severe (n = 24 (41.4%)) and severe (n = 18 (72%)) AP. The number of surgical interventions (n = 18 (72%)) and ultrasound-guided interventions (n = 26 (65%)) was also significantly higher. In patients with whole-pancreas necrosis, incidence of renal insufficiency (n = 11 (64.7%)) and infected pancreatic necrosis (n = 19 (57.6%)) was significantly higher (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The clinical course and outcome were worse in the case of pancreatic necrosis exceeding 50%, rendering the need for longer and more complex treatment.

Correction: Vabalaite et al. Effects of High-Frequency (HF) Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) on Upper Extremity Motor Function in Stroke Patients: A Systematic Review. Medicina 2021, 57, 1215.

In the original publication [...].

Dynamic Perfusion Computed Tomography and Apparent Diffusion Coefficient as Potential Markers for Poorly Differentiated Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Tumor grade, one of the most important risk factors for survival, is routinely determined after examining the biopsy material or a surgically removed specimen. The aim of the study was to analyze computed tomography (CT) perfusion parameters and diffusion-weighted imaging apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and to establish the diagnostic value of these modalities determining the tumor grade. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective clinical study included 56 subjects with PDAC. All the patients had a local perfusion assessment and ADC measurement of the tumor. For the prediction of poor tumor differentiation sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values for each perfusion CT and ADC parameters based on cutoff values from ROC analysis were calculated. RESULTS: Mean transit time (MTT) and ADC values were found to be independent prognosticators for the presence of G3 PDAC. MTT and ADC at the cutoff of 17.37 s and 1.15 × 10-3 mm2/s, respectively, appeared to be significant parameters discriminating against the differentiation grade of PDAC. If both values exceeded the defined cutoff point, the estimated probability for the presence of G3 PDAC was 89.29%. CONCLUSION: The MTT parameter, calculated with the deconvolution method, and the ADC value may serve as effective independent prognosticators identifying poorly differentiated PDAC.

Effects of High-Frequency (HF) Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) on Upper Extremity Motor Function in Stroke Patients: A Systematic Review.

Background and Objectives: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is being widely used for treating upper extremity paresis after stroke, however, evidence of applying high-frequency rTMS (HF-rTMS) on the ipsilesional hemisphere for upper extremity motor recovery remains limited. This systematic review aimed to investigate the effect of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for upper extremity motor function recovery after a first-time ischaemic stroke. Materials and Methods: This systematic review was prepared according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A comprehensive literature search was performed to identify all studies published before 12 February 2021. The search was performed on the following databases: PubMed, Ovid, The Cochrane Library. Results: A total of 6440 studies were found in the databases and four trials were included in the review. Three of the studies were randomized control trials (RCT), and one was a pseudo-RCT. Three of the studies showed good methodological quality and one study was rated as excellent. Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) was performed in three out of four studies and the score significantly increased in the HF-rTMS treatment group compared with sham stimulation in all trials. Other measures used in the studies were handgrip strength, shoulder abduction, Motricity Index, Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT), and Box and Block, although these tests did not show unanimous results. Overall, all four studies conveyed significantly better results in at least one test that was performed for hand motor function evaluation in a 10 Hz stimulation group while none of the tests showed any advantage for sham stimulation groups. Two studies reported headache as an adverse event (six patients in total). Conclusion: The overall results showed that HF-rTMS may increase impaired upper extremity motor function better than sham stimulation in stroke patients.

Choices of Therapeutic Strategies for Colorectal Liver Metastases Among Expert Liver Surgeons: A Throw of the Dice?

OBJECTIVE: To test the degree of agreement in selecting therapeutic options for patients suffering from colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) among surgical experts around the globe. SUMMARY/BACKGROUND: Only few areas in medicine have seen so many novel therapeutic options over the past decades as for liver tumors. Significant variations may therefore exist regarding the choices of treatment, even among experts, which may confuse both the medical community and patients. METHODS: Ten cases of CRLM with different levels of complexity were presented to 43 expert liver surgeons from 23 countries and 4 continents. Experts were defined as experienced surgeons with academic contributions to the field of liver tumors. Experts provided information on their medical education and current practice in liver surgery and transplantation. Using an online platform, they chose their strategy in treating each case from defined multiple choices with added comments. Inter-rater agreement among experts and cases was calculated using free-marginal multirater kappa methodology. A similar, but adjusted survey was presented to 60 general surgeons from Asia, Europe, and North America to test their attitude in treating or referring complex patients to expert centers. RESULTS: Thirty-eight (88%) experts completed the evaluation. Most of them are in leading positions (92%) with a median clinical experience of 25 years. Agreement on therapeutic strategies among them was none to minimal in more than half of the cases with kappa varying from 0.00 to 0.39. Many general surgeons may not refer the complex cases to expert centers, including in Europe, where they also engage in complex liver surgeries. CONCLUSIONS: Considerable inconsistencies of decision-making exist among expert surgeons when choosing a therapeutic strategy for CRLM. This might confuse both patients and referring physicians and indicate that an international high-level consensus statements and widely accepted guidelines are needed.

Acid suppression therapy, gastrointestinal bleeding and infection in acute pancreatitis - An international cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Acid suppressing drugs (ASD) are generally used in acute pancreatitis (AP); however, large cohorts are not available to understand their efficiency and safety. Therefore, our aims were to evaluate the association between the administration of ASDs, the outcome of AP, the frequency of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding and GI infection in patients with AP. METHODS: We initiated an international survey and performed retrospective data analysis on AP patients hospitalized between January 2013 and December 2018. RESULTS: Data of 17,422 adult patients with AP were collected from 59 centers of 23 countries. We found that 23.3% of patients received ASDs before and 86.6% during the course of AP. ASDs were prescribed to 57.6% of patients at discharge. ASD administration was associated with more severe AP and higher mortality. GI bleeding was reported in 4.7% of patients, and it was associated with pancreatitis severity, mortality and ASD therapy. Stool culture test was performed in 6.3% of the patients with 28.4% positive results. Clostridium difficile was the cause of GI infection in 60.5% of cases. Among the patients with GI infections, 28.9% received ASDs, whereas 24.1% were without any acid suppression treatment. GI infection was associated with more severe pancreatitis and higher mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Although ASD therapy is widely used, it is unlikely to have beneficial effects either on the outcome of AP or on the prevention of GI bleeding during AP. Therefore, ASD therapy should be substantially decreased in the therapeutic management of AP.

Preoperative Platelet to Lymphocyte Ratio as a Prognostic Factor for Resectable Pancreatic Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Various inflammatory markers have been investigated for a prognostic role in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer. However, the value of preoperative platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) remains controversial. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of PLR as a preoperative prognostic factor for resectable pancreatic cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Systematic literature search was conducted for studies assessing PLR influence as a preoperative prognostic factor in resectable pancreatic cancer patients. Random-effects model was applied for pooling hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals related to overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). RESULTS: Fourteen articles with 2,743 patients were included in the study. According to the analysis, high PLR had no correlation with decreased OS. Due to high heterogeneity among studies, subgroup analysis was performed. Better OS was associated with low PLR in Asian patients, patients with mixed type of operation performed, and patients with preoperative PLR ≤150. Low PLR was associated with significantly better DFS. CONCLUSIONS: PLR is a predictive factor of better DFS in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer. However, available evidence does not support PLR as a reliable prognostic factor for OS.

Long-Term Impact of Iatrogenic Bile Duct Injury.

BACKGROUND: Bile duct injury (BDI) is a devastating complication following cholecystectomy. After initial management of BDI, patients stay at risk for late complications including anastomotic strictures, recurrent cholangitis, and secondary biliary cirrhosis. METHODS: We provide a comprehensive overview of current literature on the long-term outcome of BDI. Considering the availability of only limited data regarding treatment of anastomotic strictures in literature, we also retrospectively analyzed patients with anastomotic strictures following a hepaticojejunostomy (HJ) from a prospectively maintained database of 836 BDI patients. RESULTS: Although clinical outcomes of endoscopic, radiologic, and surgical treatment of BDI are good with success rates of around 90%, quality of life (QoL) may be impaired even after "clinically successful" treatment. Following surgical treatment, the incidence of anastomotic strictures varies from 5 to 69%, with most studies reporting incidences around 10-20%. The median time to stricture formation varies between 11 and 30 months. Long-term BDI-related mortality varies between 1.8 and 4.6%. Of 91 patients treated in our center for anastomotic strictures after HJ, 81 (89%) were treated by percutaneous balloon dilatation, with a long-term success rate of 77%. Twenty-four patients primarily or secondarily underwent surgical revision, with recurrent strictures occurring in 21%. CONCLUSIONS: The long-term impact of BDI is considerable, both in terms of clinical outcomes and QoL. Treatment should be performed in tertiary expert centers to optimize outcomes. Patients require a long-term follow-up to detect anastomotic strictures. Strictures should initially be managed by percutaneous dilatation, with surgical revision as a next step in treatment.

CT- and MRI-Based Assessment of Body Composition and Pancreatic Fibrosis Reveals High Incidence of Clinically Significant Metabolic Changes That Affect the Quality of Life and Treatment Outcomes of Patients with Chronic Pancreatitis and Pancreatic Cancer.

Background and Objectives: Both chronic pancreatitis (CP) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) may lead to cachexia, sarcopenia, and osteoporosis due to different mechanisms. Neither patient gender, age, nor body weight are good predictors of these metabolic changes having a significant negative impact on the quality of life (QOL) and treatment outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate radiological changes in body composition and to compare them with manifestations of exocrine and endocrine pancreatic insufficiency, body mass, and QOL among patients with CP and PDAC. Materials and Methods: Prospectively collected data of 100 patients with diagnosed CP or PDAC were used for analysis. All patients underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-C30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) was used to assess QOL. Diabetes and changes in fecal elastase-1 were also assessed. Results: There was no significant difference in skeletal muscle mass (SMM) among patients with CP and PDAC (p = 0.85). Significantly more underweight patients had low SMM (p = 0.002). Patients with CP had more pronounced pancreatic fibrosis (PF) (p < 0.001). Data showed a significant relationship between a high degree of PF and occurrence of diabetes (p = 0.006) and low fecal elastase-1 levels (p = 0.013). A statistically significant lower QOL was determined in patients with PF ≥ 50% and in the CP group. Conclusions: Sarcopenia and osteoporosis/osteopenia are highly prevalent among patients with chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer, and CT- and MRI-based assessment of body composition and pancreatic fibrosis could be a potentially useful tool for routine detection of these significant metabolic changes.

Long-term Survival of Patient with Ampulla of Vater Metastasis of Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Ampulla of Vater metastases from renal cell carcinoma are rare. The time between detection of the primary tumour and its metastasis may extend to years. Management should be aggressive, since the prognosis of renal cell carcinoma is unpredictable and curative surgery of metastases may extend patient survival and even lead to definite cure. Herein we report a case of long-term survival after successful surgical treatment of a renal cell carcinoma metastasis to the ampulla of Vater. A 62-year-old man with a history of renal cell carcinoma in the left kidney underwent a successful left nephrectomy. Eight months later duodenoscopy showed a tumour at the site of papilla of Vater. Biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of carcinoma. Contrast enhanced computer tomography scan verified the periampullary mass, dilatation of the pancreatic and the common bile duct. No radiological signs of either local advancement or distant metastases were present. Pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy with lymphadenectomy was performed. Pathology report disclosed metastatic lesions in the papilla of Vater from the clear cell carcinoma of the kidney. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient lived for 14 years after pancreatoduodenectomy and, following thorough investigations, was free from local and systemic recurrence. Pancreatoduodenectomy can provide long-term survival in selected cases with solitary papilla of Vater metastasis from renal cell carcinoma. Favourable long-term survival rates suggest that these patients should be considered candidates for pancreatoduodenectomy if experienced pancreatic surgeon is available and no other metastases are found.

Significant inter-observer variation in the diagnosis of extrapancreatic necrosis and type of pancreatic collections in acute pancreatitis - An international multicenter evaluation of the revised Atlanta classification.

BACKGROUND: For consistent reporting and better comparison of data in research the revised Atlanta classification (RAC) proposes new computed tomography (CT) criteria to describe the morphology of acute pancreatitis (AP). The aim of this study was to analyse the interobserver agreement among radiologists in evaluating CT morphology by using the new RAC criteria in patients with AP. METHODS: Patients with a first episode of AP who obtained a CT were identified and consecutively enrolled at six European centres backwards from January 2013 to January 2012. A local radiologist at each center and a central expert radiologist scored the CTs separately using the RAC criteria. Center dependent and independent interobserver agreement was determined using Kappa statistics. RESULTS: In total, 285 patients with 388 CTs were included. For most CT criteria, interobserver agreement was moderate to substantial. In four categories, the center independent kappa values were fair: extrapancreatic necrosis (EXPN) (0.326), type of pancreatitis (0.370), characteristics of collections (0.408), and appropriate term of collections (0.356). The fair kappa values relate to discrepancies in the identification of extrapancreatic necrotic material. The local radiologists diagnosed EXPN (33% versus 59%, P < 0.0001) and non-homogeneous collections (35% versus 66%, P < 0.0001) significantly less frequent than the central expert. Cases read by the central expert showed superior correlation with clinical outcome. CONCLUSION: Diagnosis of EXPN and recognition of non-homogeneous collections show only fair agreement potentially resulting in inconsistent reporting of morphologic findings.

Impact of etiology on course and outcomes of severe acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Since the influence of etiological factors on the course and outcomes of acute pancreatitis (AP) is not fully understood yet, the aim of the study was to compare the outcomes of alcoholic and biliary severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We investigated 81 patients with alcoholic and biliary SAP. Demographic data, etiologic factors, severity scores, intra-abdominal pressure, imaging studies, interventions, and treatment outcomes were prospectively entered into specially maintained database and subsequently analyzed. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was observed in the prevalence of SAP in biliary and alcoholic AP groups (P=0.429). Although, in the biliary SAP group patients were predominantly elderly women (P=0.003), the total in-hospital stay was longer in alcoholic SAP patients (P=0.021). The abdominal compartment syndrome developed more frequently (P=0.041) and necrosectomy was more frequently performed in alcoholic SAP group (not statistically significant). Although not statistically significant, a lower mortality rate among biliary SAP patients (25.0% vs. 13.5%) was observed. CONCLUSIONS: We defined a trend toward decreased incidence of infected necrosis in larger volume (≥30%) pancreatic necrosis, absence of abdominal compartment syndrome, lower rate of necrosectomies, shorter in-hospital stay, and an insignificantly reduced mortality rate in biliary SAP patients, indicating more favorable course of biliary SAP.

Trends and results in treatment of gastric cancer over last two decades at single East European centre: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: A steady decline in gastric cancer mortality rate over the last few decades is observed in Western Europe. However it is still not clear if this trend applies to Eastern Europe where high incidence rate of gastric cancer is observed. METHODS: This was a retrospective non-randomized, single center, cohort study. During the study period 557 consecutive patients diagnosed with gastric cancer in which curative operation was performed met the inclusion criteria. The study population was divided into two groups according to two equal time periods: 01-01-1994 - 31-12-2000 (Group I - 273 patients) and 01-01-2001 - 31-12-2007 (Group II - 284 patients). Primary (five-year survival rate) and secondary (postoperative complications, 30-day mortality rate and length of hospital stay) endpoints were evaluated and compared. RESULTS: Rate of postoperative complications was similar between the groups, except for Grade III (Clavien-Dindo grading system for the classification of surgical complications) complications that were observed at significantly lower rates in Group II (26 (9.5%) vs. 11 (3.9%), p = 0.02). Length of hospital stay was significantly (p = 0.001) shorter (22.6 ± 28.9 vs. 16.2 ± 17.01 days) and 30-day mortality was significantly (p = 0.02) lower (15 (5.5%) vs. 4 (1.4%)) in Group II. Similar rates of gastric cancer related mortality were observed in both groups (92.3% vs. 90.7%). However survival analysis revealed significantly (p = 0.02) better overall 5-year survival rate in Group II (35.6%, 101 of 284) than in Group I (23.4%, 64 of 273). There was no difference in 5-year survival rate when comparing different TNM stages. CONCLUSIONS: Gastric cancer treatment results remain poor despite decreasing early postoperative mortality rates, shortening hospital stay and improved overall survival over the time. Prognosis of treatment of gastric cancer depends mainly on the stage of the disease. Absence of screening programs and lack of clinical symptoms in early stages of gastric cancer lead to circumstances when most of the patients presenting with advanced stage of the disease can expect a median survival of less than 30 months even after surgery with curative intent.