title: Adjuvant intraperitoneal cisplatin chemotherapy does not improve long-term survival after surgery for advanced gastric cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The long-term survival probability of patients who undergo surgery for stage 3 and 4 gastric cancer is poor, predominantly due to metastatic spread of the tumor. Depending on the type of tumor histology, the pathway of metastases is mainly peritoneal or hepatic dissemination. Interruption of this mechanism may be possible by intraperitoneal chemotherapy (IPT).
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective randomized trial of 67 patients undergoing surgery for stage 3 and 4 gastric cancer, 33 patients underwent adjuvant postoperative IPT with cisplatin, while 34 control subjects remained untreated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients in the treatment group received a median of four IPT perfusions. Apart from frequent nausea, no adverse reactions or complications were noted. The median disease-free survival durations were 12.7 months and 9.7 months in treated patients and controls, respectively (P = .8). After a median follow-up duration of 72 months, 54 patients (80%) had died of primary disease or related complications. The median survival duration for IPT patients was 17.3 months as compared with 16.0 months for controls (P = .6). Autopsies were performed on 12 (18%) of 54 patients who died, and showed tumor spread to the peritoneal cavity and/or to the liver, irrespective of the application of IPT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IPT with cisplatin monotherapy does not improve survival probability after surgery for stage 3 and 4 gastric cancer. The reasons for ineffectiveness of IPT may be the choice of an unsuitable chemotherapeutic agent, an inefficient modus of application, or a lack of sufficient drug penetration into the serosa or peritoneal metastasis.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sautner
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hofbauer
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Depisch
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schiessel
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jakesz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007263:Infusions, Parenteral; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000556:secondary*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D002945:Cisplatin