Current state of surgical treatment of gastric cancer in Austria—results of a multicentric retrospective online survey

Summary Background Surgical treatment of gastric cancer has changed rapidly in recent decades, leading to faster recovery and improvement in the quality of life of patients. However, the last assessment of the status of surgical treatment in Austria was over 25 years ago. The aim of this study is to assess the current state and the changes of recent decades. Methods All surgical departments in Austria were invited by the Austrian Society for Surgery (ÖGCH) and the Austrian Society of Surgical Oncology (ACO-ASSO) to take part in a standardized online survey. The data were analyzed and compared with the data from the last assessment in 1994 and with data of the Federal Statistical Office of Austria. The survey investigated the surgical treatment of gastric cancer in 2022. Results All surgical departments were contacted and 18 of 133 departments (13.5%) took part in the survey. A total of 195 patients underwent surgery at the 18 departments in 2022. Total gastrectomy is still the most frequent operation (31.7%), followed by subtotal gastrectomy (25.9%). The numbers of total and subtotal gastrectomies decreased significantly over time (48.3% vs. 31.7%, p < 0.0001 and 34.8% vs. 25.9%, p = 0.014, respectively). In contrast, proximal gastrectomy increased from 2.4% to 7.6% ( p = 0.003). Our survey documents 146 curative resections, which represents 36.1% of the resective surgeries performed throughout Austria in 2022. Of the 165 diagnostic surgeries reported by Statistics Austria, we document 47 (28.5%). Postoperative mortality decreased significantly from 8.4% to 0.4% ( p < 0.00001). Conclusion Significant changes in treatment patterns, the necessity of extended resections, and postoperative mortality were observed. In conclusion, the majority of participating departments meet international standards for gastric surgical oncology. However, there is potential for improvement.