Significance of preoperative tooth loss in patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer

Abstract

Abstract Purpose The relationship between gastric cancer and oral health has been reported in several studies. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between the postoperative prognosis of gastric cancer and oral health by using preoperative tooth loss as a simple index. Methods We conducted a single-center retrospective cohort study. Patients were divided into two groups according to the number of tooth losses. The survival curve was constructed using the Kaplan-Meier method. We also performed univariate and multivariate analyses of overall survival based on Cox proportional hazard regression to determine the prognostic factors. Results A total of 191 patients were divided into two groups: those with seven or more tooth loss and those with less than seven tooth loss. The three-year overall survival rate was 71.5% in the group with seven or more tooth loss and 87.0% in the group with less than seven tooth loss. The group with seven or more tooth loss had significantly lower overall survival than the group with less than seven tooth loss (P = 0.0014). Multivariate analysis revealed that age, clinical T stage, CEA level, and serum albumin level were independent poor prognostic factors. However, tooth loss was not an independent prognostic factor. Conclusion Preoperative tooth loss was not a prognostic factor for gastric cancer after gastrectomy, but tooth loss may be a simple and useful method for evaluating frailty in patients.