Necessity of splenectomy for antral-type scirrhous gastric cancer.

[BACKGROUND] Total gastrectomy with splenic hilar nodal dissection by splenectomy is frequently selected for resectable scirrhous gastric cancer (GC), irrespective of the whether it is of the antral or body type. However, whether splenectomy is necessary for antral-type scirrhous GC remains unclear.

[METHODS] We retrospectively reviewed the data of patients treated at National Cancer Center Hospital in Japan between 2000 and 2018. We selected patients with type IV GC in which the predominant location could be identified, who received D2 or more total gastrectomy with splenectomy, and in whom R0 or R1 resection was achieved. The therapeutic value index was evaluated by multiplying the metastatic rate of each nodal station by the five-year overall survival (OS) rate of patients with metastasis to each node.

[RESULTS] In total, 180 patients were included in this study (antral type, n = 19 [10.6 %]; body type, n = 161 [89.4 %]). Both types showed similar and frequent invasion of the greater curvature of the upper stomach. Metastasis to the splenic hilar nodes (#10) was not observed in the antral type (0/19) but was observed in the body type (35/161, 21.7 %); the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.027). The therapeutic value index of #10 was 0 in the antral type but was >7, the fourth highest, in the body type. The only nodes with an index >0 in the antral type were #4d, #3, #4sb, #6, #7, and #1.

[CONCLUSIONS] Splenectomy may therefore be unnecessary for antral-type scirrhous GC.