Factors That Affect Life Expectancy of Patients With Gastric Adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND & AIMS: We used a new, semi-parametric method to estimate life expectancy and expected years of life lost (EYLL) after diagnosis of gastric cancer and assess whether patients' sex or tumor type or location had any effects. METHODS: We performed a nationwide retrospective cohort study of 35,576 patients with gastric cancer who were registered in the Taiwan Cancer Registry from 1998 through 2007; data were collected until the end of 2010. The Monte Carlo method and tables in Taiwan National Vital Statistics database were matched to the cohort reference populations on the basis of age and sex. The estimated regression line and the survival curve of reference populations were used to extrapolate the survival curve beyond 2010. We compared patients' age at diagnosis, life expectancy, and EYLL based on sex, tumor type, and location. RESULTS: In Taiwan, gastric cancer is more prevalent among men, and 88.6% of tumors are adenocarcinomas. Patients with adenocarcinoma of the gastric cardia have shorter life expectancies and greater EYLL than those with noncardia tumors (P < .05). Women with gastric adenocarcinoma are diagnosed at a younger age and have longer life expectancies but more EYLL than men with such tumors (P < .05). The estimated years of life saved if gastric adenocarcinoma is diagnosed at an early stage and cured are 22,827 years (2.62 years/case) for women and 33,700 years (1.97 years/case) for men. CONCLUSION: Among patients with gastric cancer, men and patients with adenocarcinomas of the cardia have shorter life expectancies and more EYLL. Early detection of gastric adenocarcinoma can increase life expectancy.