title: Clinical management of gastric cancer: results of a multicentre survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The National Comprehensive Cancer Network clinical practice guidelines in oncology-gastric cancer guidelines have been widely used to provide appropriate recommendations for the treatment of patients with gastric cancer. The aim of this study was to examine the adherence of surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists' to the recommended guidelines.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire asking the treatment options for gastric cancer cases was sent to 394 Chinese oncology specialists, including surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists working in hospitals joined in The Western Cooperative Gastrointestinal Oncology Group of China. The questionnaire involved a series of clinical scenarios regarding the interpretation of surgery, neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and advanced treatment planning of gastric cancer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis of 358 respondents (91%) showed variations between each specialization and from the recommended guidelines in the management approaches to specific clinical scenarios. The majority of specialists admitted that less than 50% of patients received multidisciplinary evaluation before treatment. The participants gave different responses to questions involving adjuvant, neoadjuvant, and advanced settings, compared to the recommended guidelines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results highlight the heterogeneity of the treatment of gastric cancer. Surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists are not adhering to the recommended guidelines.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University; No, 37, Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China.
authors.forename: Xiaolong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Nanjing
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Wenxiu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Jiankun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Lida
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Weizheng
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: You
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.forename: Qiu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016522:Oncology Service, Hospital; D010166:Palliative Care; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires