Analysis of the relationship between the risk factors of preoperative anemia and postoperative complications of gastric cancer patients

Objective To investigate the anemic condition of patients with gastric cancer(GC) before operation, its risk factors and its correlation with postoperative complications, so as to provide the evidence for perioperative management.

Methods The perioperative clinical data of 500 GC patients in a tertiary hospital were analyzed, and the anemia condition, risk factors and postoperative complications of GC patients were discussed.

Results Among the 500 patients, 212 cases(42.4%) were anemia patients and 288 cases(57.6%) were non-anemia patients.The differences of the age, body mass index(BMI), red blood cell count(RBC), hemoglobin(Hb), red blood cell distribution width(RDW-CV), serum total protein(TP), albumin(Alb), triglyceride(TG) and total cholesterol(TCH) between anemia group and non-anemia group were statistically significant(P < 0.01).The results of single factor analysis showed that the age ≥65 years, combined with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, history of abdominal surgery, BMI < 18.5 kg/m², nutritional risk screening(NRS2002) ≥3 scores, malnutrition, TNM stage(Ⅲ+Ⅳ), tumor diameter >4 cm, differentiation degree, lymph node metastasis, and levels of carcinoembryo antigen(CEA), glucose carbohydrate antigen 125(CA125) and carbohydrate antigen 199(CA199) were associated with the preoperative anemia in GC patients(P < 0.05 to P < 0.01).The results of logistic regression analysis showed that the age ≥65 years old, malnutrition and tumor diameter >4 cm were the independent risk factors of preoperative anemia in GC patients(P < 0.05 to P < 0.01).Compared with the non-anemic group, the complicationa of fever, pulmonary infection and malnutrition significantly increased in the anemia group(P < 0.05 to P < 0.01).

Conclusions There are many risk factors for preoperative anemia in GC patients.The age ≥65 years old, malnutrition and tumor diameter >4 cm are the independent risk factors of preoperative anemia in GC patients.Preoperative anemia increases the incidence of postoperative complications such as fever, pulmonary infection and malnutrition.