Outcomes after gastrojejunostomy for unresectable gastric cancer (including two cases of conversion surgery) - A retrospective study

Background: Gastrojejunostomy as palliative surgery has been thought to contribute towards resumption of food intake and improvement of the patient's quality of life. This study aimed to examine the effect of gastrojejunostomy for unresectable gastric cancer on mortality and postoperative course. Methods: We retrospectively examined the records of 34 patients who underwent gastrojejunostomy for unresectable gastric cancer in our hospital from April 2008 to November 2015. Characteristics of the patients and operations, postoperative courses, and overall survival were assessed. The Kaplan-Meier method and loglank test were used for the survival analysis. Results: The median overall survival was 310 days (95%CI: 136-485), and 1 year overall survival rate was 45% (95%CI: 27.5-61.1) in 34 patients who underwent gastrojejunostomy. Liver metastasis was associated with a lower survival rate, and chemotherapy after gastrojejunostomy was associated with a significantly higher survival rate. Two of 34 patients (5.9%) underwent conversion surgery after effective chemotherapy. Conclusion: Gastrojejunostomy for unresectable gastric cancer may have the potential to contribute towards not only an improvement in the patient's quality of life with regard to the resumption of food intake, but also prolongation of the overall survival with chemotherapy and conversion surgery.