Postoperative chemoradiotherapy for gastric cancer.
BACKGROUND
We report the results of postoperative chemoradiotherapy after curative resection in gastric cancer patients.


METHODS
Patients with gastric cancer staged IB to IV(M0) were treated with chemoradiotherapy after curative resection with extensive (D2) lymph node dissection. Nodal metastases were observed in 261 (90%) patients. The chemotherapy consisted of fluorouracil 400 mg/m(2) plus leucovorin 20 mg/m(2) for 5 days, followed by 4500 cGy of radiotherapy for 5 weeks with fluorouracil and leucovorin on the first 4 days and the last 3 days of radiotherapy. Two 5-day cycles of chemotherapy were given 4 weeks after the completion of radiotherapy.


RESULTS
Of 290 patients accrued, 229 (79%) patients completed chemoradiotherapy as planned. With a median follow-up of 49 months, 114 (34%) patients have relapsed: 33 (29%) locoregional relapses, 76 (67%) peritoneal relapses and 41 (36%) distant metastases. The 5-year overall and relapse-free survivals were 60% and 57%, respectively. Tolerance was acceptable, the main toxicity being neutropenia.


CONCLUSIONS
This postoperative chemoradiotherapy after curative resection of gastric cancer was feasible, with acceptable toxicities. Whether this adjuvant therapy in gastric cancer patients that have undergone a D2 lymph node dissection impacts on survival or reduces the incidence of relapses remains to be studied.
Park
S H
SH
Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Cancer Center, Samsung Medical Center, Sunkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Kim
D Y
DY
Heo
J S
JS
Lim
D H
DH
Park
C K
CK
Lee
K W
KW
Choi
S H
SH
Sohn
T S
TS
Kim
S
S
Noh
J H
JH
Kim
Y I
YI
Park
J O
JO
Kim
K
K
Kim
W S
WS
Jung
C W
CW
Im
Y H
YH
Lee
M H
MH
Park
K
K
Park
C H
CH
Kang
W K
WK
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000009:adverse effects; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011379:Prognosis; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000009:adverse effects; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil