title: [Early postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy for the treatment of advanced gastric cancer].
abstract: Surgery remains the main treatment modality for gastric cancer. Adjuvant radiochemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy are becoming more and more popular in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer. Early postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy as one of the methods of adjuvant chemotherapy is currently being extensively investigated. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the toxicity of early postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy and its impact on postoperative complications as well as long-term survival.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study including 46 patients with gastric cancer who underwent radical resection was carried out during 2004-2005. Fourteen patients who received early postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy with 5-FU (EPIC group) were compared with 32 patients not receiving intraperitoneal chemotherapy (control group). All patient, except one patient in the EPIC group, received adjuvant radiochemotherapy or adjuvant chemotherapy. The toxicity of early postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy was evaluated using the WHO scale, and survival was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rate of postoperative complications was similar in both the groups (14.3% in the EPIC group vs. 12.5% in the control group). Four patients (28.6%) in the EPIC group developed grade III toxicity. There was no difference in survival comparing the EPIC group with the control group (median survival, 30 months and 34 months, respectively; P=0.500).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracile demonstrated acceptable toxicity and was relatively simple to perform. No survival benefit was documented combining early postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy with adjuvant radiochemotherapy or adjuvant chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Lithuania. rytism@medi.lt
authors.forename: Rytis
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Markelis
authors.forename: Zilvinas
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Endzinas
authors.forename: Saulius
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grižas
authors.forename: Juozas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pundzius
authors.forename: Zilvinas
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Saladžinskas
authors.forename: Elona
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Juozaitytė
authors.forename: Arturas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Inčiūra
authors.forename: Darius
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pranys
authors.forename: Almantas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maleckas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D005472:Fluorouracil