the Optimal Surveillance Frequency for Patients With Gastric Neuroendocrine Carcinoma

Due to lacking of evidence on surveillance for gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma (G-NEC), this study aimed to determine the optimal postsurgical surveillance strategy for G-NEC patients and compare its cost-effectiveness with traditional surveillance strategies.

Inclusion Criteria:This multicentre retrospective study included patients with gastric neuroendocrine neoplasms who underwent surgery in 21 centres of the Study Group for Gastric Neuroendocrine Tumours in China from January 2008 to December 2016. Radical surgery included a D2 lymphadenectomy consistent with the Japanese gastric cancer treatment guidelines.Exclusion Criteria: Patients with tumours of unknown pathology (only neuroendocrine neoplasms recorded without detailed information); patients with gastric NETs; patients who had endoscopic submucosal dissection or endoscopic mucosal resection; patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy; patients who died within 3 months of surgery from postoperative complications; and patients with unknown tumour size or who were lost to follow-up