The impact of the age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index as a prognostic factor in patients with early gastric cancer after endoscopic submucosal dissection.

[BACKGROUND] The Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) have proven to be valuable tools in predicting prognosis based on comorbidities and nutritional status in the context of surgical procedures and endoscopic resections. The age-Adjusted CCI (ACCI) has also shown utility in surgical settings, but its application to early gastric cancer (EGC) remains unexplored. Consequently, we aimed at clarifying the prognostic factors for EGC treated with endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD).

[METHODS] Patients who underwent ESD for EGC at the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University from January 2015 to February 2023 were included. The overall survival (OS) and prognostic predictive ability were evaluated based on patients and lesion characteristics.

[RESULTS] During a median follow-up period of 50 months, 15 patients died, but none from the gastric cancer. The 5-year survival rate was 90.0%. In univariate and multivariate analyses, a high ACCI (>4.5) was the only significant prognostic factor (Hazard ratio, 27.78; 95% confidence interval, 3.62-213.40;  < 0.01). The 5-year survival rates for patients with low ACCI (<4.5) and high ACCI were 98.9% and 72.9%, respectively ( < 0.01).

[CONCLUSIONS] A high ACCI is a significant prognostic indicator for 5-year survival and the risk of mortality caused by other comorbidities. EGC suitable for ESD is unlikely to serve as a prognostic factor, and ACCI should be considered as an important reference when considering additional surgical procedures in high-ACCI patients after ESD with endoscopic curability (eCura) C-2 for EGC.