Laparoscopy-Assisted Versus Open Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Based on Randomized Controlled Trials

Gastric cancer is a major health problem worldwide [1,2]. It is now the fifth common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the world, accounting for more the 10% of the annual cancer deaths globally [3-6]. There is global variation in the incidence of gastric cancers with higher incidence in Southeast Asia specially Korea and Japan and much lower incidence in Africa, Australia and USA. The treatment of gastric cancer depends upon the stage of the disease. One of the commonest staging systems is the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) gastric cancer staging system AJCC 7th edition, known as the TNM classification [7,8]. In stage I to III, radical surgery in the form of gastrectomy and lymph nodes dissection is the mainstay of the treatment and the aim is cure of the disease. In stage IV, palliative treatment is recommended.