Correlation Analysis Between Tumor Deposit and Clinicopathologic Characteristics and Prognosis of Gastric Cancer: A Multicenter Retrospective Study

The mechanism underlying the formation of gastric tumor deposits (TDs) is unclear. We aimed to explore the risk factors for the formation and prognostic value of TDs.

This retrospective analysis included 781 locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) patients from four medical institutions in China, from June 2014 to June 2018. The risk factors for TD formation and prognostic value were determined through univariate and multivariate analyses.

Univariate analysis revealed that TD positivity was closely related to tumor diameter, Borrmann classification, differentiation degree, pT stage, pN stage, pTNM stage, and nerve and vascular invasion (p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that tumor diameter ≥ 5 cm (odds ratio [OR] 1.836, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.165–2.894, p = 0.009) and vascular invasion (OR 2.152, 95% CI 1.349–3.433, p = 0.001) were independent risk factors for TD positivity. Multivariate Cox analysis revealed that TD positivity (OR 1.533, 95% CI 1.101–2.134, p = 0.011), tumor diameter ≥ 5 cm (OR 1.831, 95% CI 1.319–2.541, p < 0.001), pT4a stage (OR 1.652, 95% CI 1.144–2.386, p = 0.007), and vascular invasion (OR 1.458, 95% CI 1.059–2.008, p = 0.021) were independent risk factors for GC prognosis. The 5-year overall and disease-free survival of the TD-positive group showed significant effects among patients in the pT4a and pN3b stages (p < 0.05).

TDs are closely related to tumor diameter and vascular invasion in LAGC patients, and TD positivity is an independent prognostic factor for LAGC patients, especially those at pT4a and pN3b stages.