Long-term results after R0 resection in the surgical treatment of gastric cancer

The International Union against Cancer and the American Joint Committee on Cancer system define residual tumor as R0 when the surgical procedure is concluded without any evidence of macroscopic residual tumor. This index is considered an important factor in terms of the prognosis and long-term survival of gastric carcinoma patients. Our data demonstrate that prognosis and survival differ in high- vs. low-risk areas of gastric cancer; in particular, we determined that prognosis is better in high-risk areas for gastric cancer in patients undergoing R0 surgery. These differences may also take into account the multiple etiologies of gastric tumors. In this chapter, we discuss the R classification in gastric cancer, focusing on long-term survival after radical surgery (R0) and stratifying these data with respect to high- and low-incidence areas for gastric carcinoma development.