Universalization of the operative strategy by systematic mesogastric excision for stomach cancer with that for total mesorectal excision and complete mesocolic excision colorectal counterparts.

Gastrointestinal cancer surgery aims at en bloc removal of the primary tumor with its lymphatic drainage by excising organ-specific mesentery as an "intact package". This concept was advocated in colorectal cancer surgery as total mesorectal excision (TME) or complete mesocolic excision (CME) procedures, but is not directly applicable to stomach cancer as a result of the morphological complexities of the gastric mesentery. In this review, we discuss the unique anatomical features of the mesogastrium by introducing its embryology, disclose its similarity to the mesosigmoid, and then propose a theoretical concept to mesentery-based D2 gastrectomy, namely systematic mesogastric excision, which can universalize the operative strategy of stomach cancer with that of TME and CME colorectal counterparts.