Abstract:
Most gastric cancer (GC) cases in China are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Because of its high morbidity and mortality, GC remains a major health crisis in China. Surgical resection is the only potentially curative treatment for GC. Because laparoscopic radical gastrectomy is minimally invasive, it has been widely applied in various countries, particularly in East Asia, since Kitano first reported its feasibility and safety. Although laparoscopic gastric surgery was introduced relatively late in China, Chinese surgeons have made unique contributions to the research and clinical practice owing to a large number of clinical cases. This review focuses on the progress in laparoscopic gastrectomy for advanced-stage GC in China by assessing the oncologic efficacy of laparoscopic surgery and reasonable approaches in different areas and introducing advanced technology to facilitate surgeons in rapidly overcoming the learning curve in clinical practice.