title: Which is better for gastric cancer patients, perioperative or adjuvant chemotherapy: a meta-analysis.
abstract: The preferred chemotherapy method for gastric cancer continues to be matter of debate. We performed a meta-analysis to comparing prognosis and safety between perioperative chemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy to identify the better chemotherapy option for gastric cancer.
  
  
  
  We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Ovid databases for eligible studies until February 2016. The main endpoints were prognostic value (hazard ratio [HR] for overall survival [OS] and 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year survival rate), response rate of chemotherapy, radical resection rate, post-operative complication rate, and adverse effects of chemotherapy.
  
  
  
  Five randomized controlled trials and six clinical controlled trials involving 1,240 patients were eligible for analysis. Compared with the adjuvant chemotherapy group, the perioperative chemotherapy group had significantly better prognosis (HR, 0.74; 95 % CI, 0.61 to 0.89; P < 0.01). The difference between the two groups remained significant in the studies that used combination chemotherapy as the neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimen (HR, 0.59; 95 % CI, 0.46 to 0.76; P < 0.01) but were not significant in the studies that used fluoropyrimidine monotherapy (HR, 0.93; 95 % CI, 0.56 to 1.55; P = 0.84). Furthermore, the two groups showed no significant differences in the post-operative complication rates (relative risk, 0.98; 95 % CI, 0.63 to 1.51; P = 0.91) or adverse effects of chemotherapy (P > 0.05 for all adverse effects).
  
  
  
  Perioperative chemotherapy showed improved survival compared to adjuvant chemotherapy for gastric cancer. In addition, combination chemotherapy resulted in better survival compared to monotherapy in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimens.
authors: Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, People's Republic of China.
authors: Jun-Hua
authors: JH
authors: Zhao
authors: Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, People's Republic of China.
authors: Peng
authors: P
authors: Gao
authors: Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, People's Republic of China.
authors: Yong-Xi
authors: YX
authors: Song
authors: Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, People's Republic of China.
authors: Jing-Xu
authors: JX
authors: Sun
authors: Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, People's Republic of China.
authors: Xiao-Wan
authors: XW
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, People's Republic of China.
authors: Bin
authors: B
authors: Ma
authors: Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, People's Republic of China.
authors: Yu-Chong
authors: YC
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, People's Republic of China. josieon826@sina.cn.
authors: Zhen-Ning
authors: ZN
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D019990:Perioperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
keywords: Adjuvant chemotherapy; Combination chemotherapy; Gastric cancer; Overall survival; Perioperative chemotherapy