title: The roles of surgical oncologists in the new era: minimally invasive surgery for early gastric cancer and adjuvant surgery for metastatic gastric cancer.
abstract: In the new era of technical development in surgery, operative devices, molecular targeting and chemotherapeutic agents, surgical oncologists have two main roles in the treatment of gastric cancer. One is to provide patients with minimally invasive surgery, including laparoscopy- or robot-assisted surgery in early gastric cancer patients, and the new concept of surgical intervention toward advanced and metastatic disease. Since recently, laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy has become prevalent in Japan as a surgery which is minimally invasive for the patients and provides them with a good quality of life afterwards. However, the provision of advanced surgical techniques, including lymph node dissection and reconstruction, is more important for patient survival. The second role of surgical oncologists is to evaluate the significant values of the aggressive treatment which we term 'adjuvant surgery' for stage IV gastric cancer patients who have successfully responded to initial chemotherapy for curative intent. Stage IV gastric cancer patients are now being informed about the possibility of longer survival with the new chemotherapeutic and surgical strategic approach.
authors: Department of Surgical Oncology, Gifu University, Japan. kyoshida @ gifu-u.ac.jp
authors: Kazuhiro
authors: K
authors: Yoshida
authors: Kazuya
authors: K
authors: Yamaguchi
authors: Naoki
authors: N
authors: Okumura
authors: Shinji
authors: S
authors: Osada
authors: Takao
authors: T
authors: Takahashi
authors: Yoshihiro
authors: Y
authors: Tanaka
authors: Kazuaki
authors: K
authors: Tanabe
authors: Takahisa
authors: T
authors: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome