Postoperative management and Follow-up

Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy was recommended for all patients included in the present study. The regimens of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy were consistent with the preoperative part of treatment. However, some patients declined postoperative chemotherapy due to various reasons. All the patients were followed up every 3 months for the first 3 years and every 6 months afterwards until 5 years post-surgery. The follow-up content included physical examination, complete blood count, hepatic function, serum tumor marker assessment, and CT-scan as well as annual gastrointestinal endoscopy.