Cross-Sectional Location of Gastric Cancer Affects the Long-Term Survival of Patients as Tumor Invasion Deepens

Background: The prognosis of gastric cancer is generally determined by tumor depth and lymph node metastasis, while the effect of cross-sectional tumor location on prognosis remains unclear. Methods: This study recruited patients who had been diagnosed with gastric cancer and who underwent gastrectomy from 1989 to 2012. The cross-sectional locations of the gastric cancers were classified into four regions: the lesser (LC) and greater curvatures (GC), and anterior (AW) and posterior walls (PW). Results: Overall, 4820 patients were enrolled in this study. The most common site of gastric cancer among the four cross-sectional locations was the LC (46.4%), while the proportions of PW (19.9%), AW (18.4%), and GC (15.4%) were similar. Overall survival differed statistically (p = 0.013) according to the cross-sectional location, and the 5-year overall survival of those with tumors with a GC location was significantly worse (p = 0.003) than for the other three locations. In subgroup multivariate analysis, GC location was an independent prognostic indicator for a worse clinical outcome at T stage 3–4b (hazard ratio 1.365, 95% confidence interval 1.150–1.620, p < 0.001). In addition, a GC gastric cancer had a higher recurrence rate in terms of peritoneal seeding compared with other locations. Conclusions: The cross-sectional location of gastric cancer is associated with long-term survival. A GC location predicts a worse prognosis, especially in gastric cancer patients with deeper T stages.