Short summary

Esophageal and gastric cancers are common cancer types with a high mortality rate even after intended curative treatment. This study investigates how type of perioperative therapy including both oncological treatment and resection type affects survival. Using national databases, diagnoses, comorbidity, treatment data and socioeconomic data will be collected and used to conduct survival analysis of a nationwide cohort without loss to follow-up.

Rationale

Esophageal and gastric cancers are common cancer types with a high mortality rate even after intended curative treatment. Perioperative therapy increase survival however, it is still unclear how and if survival depends on combination of oncological treatment and type of resection in an unselected population-based Danish setting.

In Denmark, all cases of oesophageal and gastric cancer are registered in a nationwide database with basic demographic data as well as data on surgical and oncological treatment if applicable (The Danish ECV-database). This in combination with other national Danish registries allows for high quality epidemiological research on the subject without any loss to follow-up.

The aim of this study is to investigate effect of oncological treatment and resection type on oesophageal and gastric cancer in a nationwide population-based cohort of patient diagnosed from 2012-2018. The study will yield two separate papers based on the same dataset which will investigate effect of oncological treatment and investigate the effect of resection technique.

Description of the cohort

All Danish patients with primary esophageal, GEJ or gastric cancer diagnosed from January 1th 2012 - December 31th 2018 including all patients undergoing surgical or oncological treatment, or best supportive care.

Data and biological material

Register data on diagnosis, treatment, comorbidity, socioeconomic factors and mortality will be collected from the Danish ECV-Database, The Danish National Patient Registry, The Danish Civic Registry and Statistics Denmark.

Collaborating researchers and departments

Department of Surgery, Odense University Hospital

• Professor Michael Bau Mortensen, PhD, DMSci
• Adjunct Professor Lars Lundell, PhD
• Consultant Alan Patrick Ainsworth, PhD
• Consultant Claus Fristrup, PhD
• Consultant Michael Hareskov Larsen, PhD

Department of Oncology, Odense University Hospital

• Professor Per Pfeiffer, PhD

Department of Pathology, Odense University Hospital

• Professor Sönke Detlefsen, PhD