Table 1.
Characteristics of population from the three periods (n = 1604)
| Characteristics | 1980s (n = 496) | 1990s (n = 673) | 2000s (n = 435) | P value |
| Age (yr) | 0.000 | |||
| Median | 56 | 60 | 58 | |
| Sex (%) | 0.000 | |||
| Male | 397 (80) | 469 (70) | 306 (70) | |
| Female | 99 (20) | 204 (30) | 129 (30) | |
| Number of lymph nodes removed | 0.000 | |||
| Mean | 12 | 12 | 18 | |
| Number of involved lymph nodes | 0.072 | |||
| Mean | 2 | 2 | 3 | |
| Tumor size (cm) | 0.000 | |||
| Median | 6 | 5 | 5 | |
| Site of tumor (%) | 0.000 | |||
| Whole stomach | 60 (12) | 49 (7) | 23 (5) | |
| Upper stomach | 55 (11) | 80 (12) | 44 (10) | |
| Middle stomach | 39 (8) | 69 (10) | 49 (11) | |
| Lower stomach | 213 (43) | 298 (44) | 254 (58) | |
| > 2/3 stomach | 129 (26) | 177 (26) | 65 (15) | |
| Pathological tumor stage (%) | 0.003 | |||
| T1 | 99 (20) | 148 (22) | 104 (24) | |
| T2 | 179 (36) | 215 (32) | 121 (28) | |
| T3 | 154 (31) | 242 (36) | 178 (41) | |
| T4 | 64 (13) | 68 (10) | 32 (7) | |
| Pathological nodal stage (%) | 0.006 | |||
| N0 | 159 (32) | 195 (29) | 152 (35) | |
| N1 | 193 (39) | 269 (40) | 161 (37) | |
| N2 | 84 (17) | 155 (23) | 94 (22) | |
| N3 | 60 (12) | 54 (8) | 28 (6) | |
| TNM stage (%) | 0.000 | |||
| IA | 47 (10) | 58 (9) | 36 (8) | |
| IB | 62 (13) | 102 (15) | 98 (23) | |
| II | 81 (16) | 168 (25) | 100 (23) | |
| IIIA | 108 (22) | 149 (22) | 86 (20) | |
| IIIB | 73 (15) | 71 (11) | 42 (10) | |
| IV | 125 (25) | 125 (19) | 73 (17) | |
| Gross type (%) | 0.000 | |||
| Borrmann I | 15 (3) | 5 (1) | 2 (1) | |
| Borrmann II | 158 (35) | 97 (16) | 44 (11) | |
| Borrmann III | 227 (50) | 439 (71) | 311 (77) | |
| Borrmann IV | 50 (11) | 79 (13) | 47 (12) | |
| Surgery (%) | 0.000 | |||
| Absolutely curative | 277 (56) | 357 (53) | 172 (40) | |
| Relatively curative | 47 (10) | 163 (24) | 225 (52) | |
| Palliative | 172 (35) | 153 (23) | 38 (9) | |
| Lymph node dissection (%) | 0.000 | |||
| D1 | 51 (10) | 52 (8) | 46 (11) | |
| D2 | 188 (38) | 399 (59) | 347 (80) | |
| D3 | 90 (18) | 73 (11) | 16 (4) | |
| Palliative resection | 167 (34) | 149 (22) | 26 (6) | |
| Complication (%) | 0.001 | |||
| Intestinal obstruction | 16 (3) | 7 (1) | 11 (3) | |
| Anastomotic leakage | 10 (2) | 12 (2) | 0 (0) | |
| Pneumonia | 3 (1) | 3 (0) | 1 (0) | |
| Abdominal abscess | 8 (2) | 11 (2) | 7 (2) | |
| Anemia | 3 (1) | 1 (0) | 4 (1) | |
| Other | 7 (1) | 12 (2) | 22 (5) | |
| Hepatic metastasis (%) | 21 (4) | 21 (3) | 10 (2) | 0.244 |
| Peritoneum metastasis (%) | 67 (14) | 50 (7) | 25 (6) | 0.000 |
| Adjunctive therapy (%) | 0 (0) | 41 (6) | 153 (35) | 0.000 |
| Type of gastrectomy (%) | 0.073 | |||
| Total | 94 (19) | 95 (14) | 76 (17) | |
| Subtotal | 402 (81) | 578 (86) | 359 (83) | |
| Combined organ resection | 0.000 | |||
| Pancreas or spleen | 53 (11) | 56 (8) | 18 (4) | |
| Liver or gall | 11 (2) | 12 (2) | 19 (4) | |
| Transverse colon | 20 (4) | 51 (8) | 52 (12) | |
| Other | 15 (3) | 20 (3) | 12 (3) |