Outcomes of adjuvant chemoradiotherapy after a radical gastrectomy and a D2 node dissection for gastric adenocarcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Intergroup 0116 (INT-0116) established adjuvant chemoradiation as the standard of care for resected high-risk adenocarcinoma of the stomach in the United States. However, adjuvant chemoradiation remains controversial in many parts of Asia and Europe, where patients tend to undergo a more thorough D2 dissection. In INT-0116, 90% of patients had a limited or inadequate node dissection (D0 or D1). Also, 17% of patients in the chemoradiation arm had to discontinue treatment because of toxicities. The objectives of this retrospective study are to report the clinical outcomes of a cohort of patients who were mostly treated with a D2 node dissection and received adjuvant chemoradiation as per INT-0116, and the toxicities of chemoradiation in the context of more aggressive surgery.


METHODS
After the results of INT-0116 became apparent, we adopted an institutional policy whereby patients who would otherwise fit the inclusion criteria of INT-0116 received adjuvant chemoradiation. Between March 1999 and November 2004, 70 consecutive patients with pathologic stage T3, T4, or node-positive disease were treated according to the chemoradiation arm of INT-0116. Patients received intravenous 5-fluorouracil 425 mg/m and leucovorin 20 mg/m in cycles 1, 3, and 4. Concurrent chemoradiation was given in cycle 2 and consisted of bolus 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin and radiotherapy (45 Gy over 25 fractions in 5 weeks). All patients were operated on by dedicated Japan-trained Surgical Oncologists.


RESULTS
Sixty-seven patients (96%) had a D2 nodal dissection. Sixty-five patients (93%) had negative pathologic margins (R0 resection) and 5 (7%) had microscopically involved margins (R1 resection). The median follow-up was 27 months (range, 10.1-60.3). The 3-year overall survival, disease-free survival, and local control were 60.6%, 54.1%, and 84.3%, respectively. Of the 30 patients who relapsed, 5 (17%) had isolated locoregional recurrences only. The National Cancer Institute--Common Terminology Criteria version 3.0 acute grade 3 or 4 gastrointestinal and hematological toxicity rates were 15.7% and 4.3%, respectively. Toxicities led to chemotherapy dose-reductions in 18 patients and dose-delay in 19 patients. Including chemotherapy dose-reductions and delays, 66 patients (94%) completed the entire chemoradiation regimen. There were no toxicity-related deaths.


CONCLUSIONS
In our cohort of 70 patients who had a more thorough D2 node dissection, adjuvant chemoradiation was well tolerated with acceptable toxicities and reasonable tumor control.
Leong
C N
CN
Department of Radiation Oncology, The Cancer Institute, National University Hospital, Singapore.
Chung
Hans T
HT
Lee
K M
KM
Shakespeare
Thomas P
TP
Mukherjee
Rahul K
RK
Wong
L C
LC
Lu
Jiade J
JJ
Tey
J
J
Lim
Robert
R
So
J B Y
JB
Back
Michael F
MF
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014803:Vitamin B Complex / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D014803:Vitamin B Complex; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil