[Comparison of body weight loss in gastrectomy patients who underwent only surgery and those who underwent surgery followed up with S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy].

BACKGROUND: Body weight loss is a common outcome in patients with gastric cancer who have undergone gastrectomy. However, the rate of body weight loss after surgery is unknown.
METHODS: In this retrospective study, we selected patients who underwent radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer and were diagnosed with Stage II or III disease. Further, we compared the body weight loss after surgery between patients in the surgery alone group and the S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy group.
RESULTS: We evaluated 163 patients, of which 81 underwent only surgery, and 82 underwent surgery followed up with S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy. The body weight loss rate at 1, 3, and 6 months in the surgery alone group were 93.1%, 92.9%, and 94.9%, while those in the S-1 adjuvant group were 92.9%, 90.4%,and 91.9%, which was a significant difference.
CONCLUSIONS: Body weight loss after gastrectomy was higher in the S-1 adjuvant group than in the surgery alone group. Further, nutritional support is required for these patients to maintain body weight after surgery.