Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40296071›Full record

ArticleBMC surgery2025

Short- and long-term outcomes after perioperative EOX therapy versus upfront surgery for gastric cancer: a single-centre propensity score-matched cohort study.

Johan Back, Ville Sallinen, Akseli Bonsdorff, Arto Kokkola, Pauli Puolakkainen

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in BMC surgery, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Johan BackDepartment of Abdominal Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Meilahti Tower Hospital, Building 1, Haartmaninkatu 4, PO Box 340, Helsinki, 00029 HUS, Finland. johan.back@hus.fi.
Ville SallinenDepartment of Abdominal Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Meilahti Tower Hospital, Building 1, Haartmaninkatu 4, PO Box 340, Helsinki, 00029 HUS, Finland.
Akseli BonsdorffDepartment of Abdominal Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Meilahti Tower Hospital, Building 1, Haartmaninkatu 4, PO Box 340, Helsinki, 00029 HUS, Finland.
Arto Kokkola *Department of Abdominal Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Meilahti Tower Hospital, Building 1, Haartmaninkatu 4, PO Box 340, Helsinki, 00029 HUS, Finland.
Pauli Puolakkainen *Department of Abdominal Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Meilahti Tower Hospital, Building 1, Haartmaninkatu 4, PO Box 340, Helsinki, 00029 HUS, Finland.

Funding

Stiftelsen Dorothea Olivia, Karl Walter och Jarl Walter Perkléns Minne 20230023
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionDespite radical surgery, gastric cancer (GC) survival rates remain low in Western countries. Randomised trials suggest that perioperative chemotherapy downstages disease, improving long-term survival without increasing complications. We compared outcomes for upfront surgery (US) versus surgery combined with perioperative EOX (epirubicin, oxaliplatin, capecitabine) therapy for short- and long-term survival.

methodsWe analysed 310 patients who underwent curative intent gastrectomy for GC at a single tertiary centre from 2006 to 2017. Patients were assigned to the EOX group (n = 105) or the US group (n = 205). Propensity score matching (PSM) was utilised to balance baseline characteristics, clinical stage, surgery type, and histology. Short-term outcomes included the Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI) and 30-day mortality, while long-term outcomes were overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and disease-free survival (DFS).

resultsAfter PSM, 102 patients remained in each group. The EOX group exhibited significantly lower preoperative haemoglobin levels compared to the US group, but other baseline characteristics were comparable. Tumour-related outcomes favoured the EOX group, with significantly smaller tumours (P < 0.001), fewer metastatic lymph nodes (P = 0.004), and lower tumour stages overall. Splenectomy was more common in the US group (40.2% versus 23.5%, P = 0.011). Postoperative complications were similar between groups, although ICU admissions were more frequent in the EOX group (16.7% versus 6.9%, P = 0.030). Thirty-day mortality rates were low and comparable (1.0% in the EOX group versus 2.0% in the US group, P = 1.000). Long-term outcomes, including overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and disease-free survival (DFS), showed no significant differences between the groups.

conclusionsPerioperative EOX therapy is as safe as upfront surgery and significantly reduces metastatic lymph nodes and tumour size, suggesting its role in downstaging the disease. However, despite these promising oncological responses, this benefit does not translate into improved long-term survival.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsGastrectomyStomach NeoplasmsAgedCapecitabineFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedOxaliplatinPropensity ScoreRetrospective StudiesSurvival RateTreatment OutcomeCapecitabineOxaliplatinComplicationsEOXGastric cancerPerioperative chemotherapy

Identifiers

PMID40296071
PMCPMC12039105

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.