Chemotherapy beyond second-line in advanced gastric cancer.
Patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC) can be treated with multiple lines of chemotherapy. Although several randomized trials have demonstrated the benefit of second-line chemotherapy compared with best supportive care, there is no evidence that further lines of chemotherapy will result in substantial prolongation of survival. Despite this, the practice of offering chemotherapy beyond second-line agents to AGC patients is not uncommon if their performance status is well-preserved and they are willing to receive subsequent active treatments. The choice of chemotherapeutic agents depends on the patient's prior regimens. However, there are important controversial issues in the salvage setting of AGC, including a subset of patients who may benefit from chemotherapy, that still remain unanswered. This report reviews the available evidence regarding the impact of third- and subsequent lines of chemotherapy on survival and quality of life in patients with AGC.
Sung Min Kim, Se Hoon Park, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University Samsung Medical Center, Seoul 135-710, South Korea.
Sung Min
SM
Kim
Sung Min Kim, Se Hoon Park, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University Samsung Medical Center, Seoul 135-710, South Korea.
Se Hoon
SH
Park
D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D018579:Patient Selection; D011788:Quality of Life; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
Chemotherapy; Gastric cancer; Salvage