BACKGROUND: D2 gastrectomy has been regarded as an inconvenient procedure with high morbidity and no survival benefit in the West. Recent studies, however, have shown low mortality and a survival benefit of D2 gastrectomy. In the Instituto de Enfermedades Neoplasicas (INEN) of Lima Peru D2 gastrectomy is performed since 1990 after training of some of the authors in the NCC of Tokyo Japan. Distal Pancreatectomy was performed only if the pancreas was involved.The aim of this study was to evaluate the peri operative mortality and survival in a group of patients who had a standard D2 lymphadenectomy according to the rules of the Japanese Research Society for Gastric Cancer. Data were collected prospectively, and patients were followed for more than 7 years.METHODS: Between 1990 and 1999, 938 patients with localized gastric cancer were registered at INEN. Of these, 801 patients underwent curative resection with extended lymphadenectomy (D2). Postoperative morbidity/mortality, type of gastrectomy, mean of lymph nodes removed, pTNM stages and Survival Time and were analyzed.RESULTS: Sub total distal gastrectomy was performed in 511 patients and total gastrectomy in 290 patients. The mean number of lymph nodes removed was 46.48 per patient (54.91 nodes for total and 41.69 for sub total distal gastrectomy). Hospital mortality was 2.9%. 11% were Stage (TNM) IA, 9.4% stage IB, 19% stage II, 24.6% stage IIIA, 13.1% stage IIIB and 23% stage IV. Five-year actuarial survival was 47.5%. Five-year survival of patients with TNM stages IA, IB, II, IIIA, IIIB and IV were 85.8%, 79.4%, 60%, 46.7% 33% and 14.3% respectively.CONCLUSIONS: Gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy may be performed with low morbidity and mortality if the operation is performed in specialized centers with a strict quality control system, and without removing the pancreas during total gastrectomy unless it is suspected to be involved. This procedure could provide a good probability of long-term survival, even for patients with invaded regional lymph nodes.KEY WORDS: Gastric cancer, Gastrectomy, D2 Lymphadenectomy, Survival.