Outcome of patients with known metastatic gastric cancer undergoing resection with therapeutic intent.
BACKGROUND
Metastatic gastric cancer has a dismal prognosis. We identified a subset of patients where surgical resection with therapeutic intent was undertaken in the setting of known metastatic disease.


METHODS
Review of a prospectively maintained database of gastric cancer patients at a single institution over a 19-year period was performed.


RESULTS
Thirty-seven patients with metastatic disease known prior to resection with therapeutic intent were identified out of 3384 patients with gastric cancer (1%). Twelve patients had positive peritoneal cytology as the only evidence of metastasis, 21 had gross metastasis limited to peritoneal surfaces, one had peritoneal and ovarian metastasis, one had liver metastasis, one had retropancreatic lymph node metastasis, and one had a malignant pleural effusion. Thirty-six patients (97%) received chemotherapy prior to resection, and 30 (81%) received postoperative chemotherapy. The median time from diagnosis to resection was 4.5 months (range 1-22) in patients receiving preoperative chemotherapy. Median survival was 12 months after resection with no three-year survivors. Predictors of worse prognosis were cytologic or pathologic evidence of persistent metastatic disease at the time of resection or at laparoscopy within six weeks of resection (P < .01), N3 disease (P = .03), and total gastrectomy or additional organ resection (P = .04). Metastatic disease as evidenced by cytology only was not associated with improved prognosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Highly selected patients with metastatic gastric cancer undergoing surgical resection with therapeutic intent have a relatively poor prognosis. Persistent detectable metastatic disease after preoperative chemotherapy portends a particularly poor prognosis.
Gold
Jason S
JS
Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA.
Jaques
David P
DP
Bentrem
David J
DJ
Shah
Manish A
MA
Tang
Laura H
LH
Brennan
Murray F
MF
Coit
Daniel G
DG
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents