title: Post-operative radiochemotherapy in patients with gastric cancer: one department's experience of 56 patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Prognosis in patients with locally advanced stomach cancer undergoing surgery alone is poor. High local failure rates in gastric cancer have been reported of up to 70%. When a relapse occurs, attempts at curative treatment are generally unsuccessful. A retrospective analysis was performed in order to determine whether post-operative radiochemotherapy improves treatment results in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between November 2004 and July 2008, 56 patients with clinical Stage IB-IV cancer of the stomach underwent curative gastrectomy and adjuvant radiochemotherapy. Patients with distant metastases were excluded from the analysis. The total radiation dose was 45.0 Gy. The chemotherapy regimen comprised a 5 day cycle of 5-fluorouracil at 425 mg m(-2) and leucovorin at 20 mg m(-2). Overall survival and disease-free survival, as well as toxicity, were estimated for all patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Within the study group there were 7 (13%) local recurrences, 4 (7%) distant metastases and 8 (14%) local and distant relapses. The 2 year overall survival was 48%. A total of 19 (34%) patients developed Grade 3 gastrointestinal toxicity. There were no treatment-related deaths.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Post-operative radiochemotherapy is an effective and safe regimen in patients with curatively resected locally advanced gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Radiotherapy Department, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland. michal.spych@umed.lodz.pl
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spych
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Serbiak
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rychter
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jesien-Lewandowicz
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gottwald
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fijuth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005472:Fluorouracil