Dynamic postoperative prognosis and follow-up optimization for gastric cancer patients after neoadjuvant therapy: a multicenter retrospective study.

BACKGROUND

Conditional survival (CS) estimates the probability of future survival based on time already survived. However, evidence regarding postoperative dynamic follow-up in gastric cancer patients after neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate dynamic prognosis and optimize follow-up for locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) patients after NAT.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 997 LAGC patients who underwent NAT followed by radical gastrectomy across multiple Chinese centers. CS was used to evaluate the probability of surviving for Y years on top of having survived for X years. Prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were identified by Cox regression and incorporated into a model predicting conditional probabilities at 1, 3, and 5 years after surgery. Patients were stratified into high- and low-risk groups using an optimal cut-off of 160 points derived from the RFS nomogram.

RESULTS

The 3-year OS rate was 61.3%. CS increased with longer postoperative survival, with 3-year conditional overall survival (cOS3) rising from 62.2% at 1 year to 89.3% at 5 years. A similar trend was observed for 3-year conditional recurrence-free survival (cRFS3). Independent prognostic factors included preoperative CA19-9 level, tumor size, ypT stage, ypN stage, and perineural invasion (all P < 0.05). Recurrence analysis showed that 68.7% of high-risk patients experienced recurrence, with 91.9% of events occurring within 2 years.

CONCLUSIONS

CS enables dynamic assessment of postoperative prognosis in patients with LAGC after NAT, underscoring the importance of intensified early follow-up to facilitate timely detection and intervention for recurrence.