title: Clinical Characteristics Associated with Long-term Survival in Metastatic Gastric Cancer after Systemic Chemotherapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Systemic chemotherapy for patients with metastatic gastric cancer (MGC) is generally palliative, although some patients experience long-term survival after treatment. Thus, we identified clinical characteristics that are associated with long-term survival of patients with MGC after palliative chemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed 514 MGC patients who received systemic chemotherapy at our institution from 2001 to 2008. To identify clinical predictors of survival beyond 2 years, multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed, and 5-year survival rates were estimated among MGC patients following chemotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 514 patients, 96 (19%) and 16 (3%) survived beyond 2 and 5 years, respectively, and performance status of 0 or 1 (odds ratio [OR]=3.39; p=0.01), previous gastrectomy (OR=1.86; p=0.01), single metastatic site (OR=1.80; p=0.03), and normal alkaline phosphatase levels (OR=2.81; p<0.01) were identified as independent predictors of long-term survival. Of the 16 5-year survivors, six were alive at the end of the study and showed no evidence of disease despite cessation of chemotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present data demonstrate distinct clinical characteristics that are associated with long-term survival of MGC patients, and indicated that palliative chemotherapy can be curative in highly selected patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, Nagoya, Japan E-mail : skadowaki@aichi-cc.jp.
authors.forename: Shigenori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kadowaki
authors.forename: Azusa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Komori
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Takahari
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ura
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tajika
authors.forename: Yasumasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Niwa
authors.forename: Isao
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Oze
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Muro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality* / Q000556:secondary; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality* / Q000556:secondary; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality* / Q000556:secondary; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate