Adverse effects of perioperative transfusion on patients with stage III and IV gastric cancer.

Background: The degree of immunomodulation by perioperative blood transfusion and its resultant effects on cancer surgery are a subject of controversy. We evaluated the prognostic effects of perioperative blood transfusion on gastric cancer surgery.

Methods: A total of 1710 patients who underwent curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer from 1991 to 1995 were retrospectively reviewed.