National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital Describes Findings in Gastric Cancer (Incidence and risk factors for symptomatic gallstone disease after gastrectomy for gastric cancer: a nationwide population-based study): Oncology – Gastric Cancer

2026 JAN 30 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at South Korea Daily Report -- Investigators publish new report on Oncology - Gastric Cancer. According to news reporting from Goyang, South Korea, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “Gallstone formation is a potential long-term complication of gastrectomies. However, data on symptomatic gallstone disease after gastrectomy for gastric cancer are limited.”

The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital, “This nationwide population-based study aimed to determine the incidence and risk factors of symptomatic gallstone disease requiring invasive intervention. This nationwide cohort study was based on claims data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service Database. The study included 90 456 patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer between 2007 and 2020 after excluding individuals with prior gallbladder disease, liver dysfunction, or ursodeoxycholic acid use. The primary outcome was symptomatic gallstone disease that required invasive intervention (cholecystectomy or endoscopic/percutaneous biliary procedures). Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using the Cox proportional hazards analysis. During a mean follow-up of 7.5 years, 6465 patients (7.1%) developed symptomatic gallstone disease requiring invasive intervention, with 5-year and 10-year cumulative incidences of 4.9% and 8.9%, respectively. Independent risk factors included age 60-79 years (HR 1.49, 95% CI 1.25-1.78) and 80 years (HR 2.10, 95% CI 1.69-2.61), body mass index 25 kg/m2 (HR 1.25, 95% CI 1.19-1.32), hypertension (HR 1.10, 95% CI 1.04-1.16), diabetes mellitus (HR 1.10, 95% CI 1.04-1.17), Charlson Comorbidity Index 6 (HR 1.32, 95% CI 1.23-1.43), total gastrectomy (HR 1.80, 95% CI 1.70-1.90), and adjuvant chemotherapy (HR 2.11, 95% CI 1.98-2.24). Female sex (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.71-0.82), pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (HR 0.47, 95% CI 0.33-0.67), and laparoscopic surgery (HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.81-0.90) were protective. Symptomatic gallstone disease requiring invasive intervention occurred in 7.1% of the patients after gastrectomy for gastric cancer, representing a substantial increase compared to the general population.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Pylorus-preserving gastrectomy and laparoscopic surgery were associated with a lower risk, suggesting that the surgical approach may influence the long-term gallstone risk.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Incidence and risk factors for symptomatic gallstone disease after gastrectomy for gastric cancer: a nationwide population-based study. International Journal of Surgery, 2026. International Journal of Surgery can be contacted at: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Two Commerce Sq, 2001 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; International Journal of Surgery - http://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-journal-of-surgery/)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Taemi Youk, Research Institute, National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, South Korea. Additional authors for this research include Seohee Choi, Jawon Hwang, Sung Hyun Park, Minah Cho, Yoo Min Kim, Woo Jin Hyung and Hyoung-Il Kim.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1097/js9.0000000000004771. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

Publisher contact information for the International Journal of Surgery is: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Two Commerce Sq, 2001 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA.

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