Palliative gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer.

Background/aims: Although palliative gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer may be favorable in selected patients presenting with bleeding and obstruction, little has been reported about the clinical significance of palliative gastrectomy, including prognosis.

Methodology: A retrospective comparison between 84 patients with palliative gastrectomy (PG group) and 100 patients with unresectable operation (UO group) for advanced gastric cancer was carried out.

Results: The incidence of serosal invasion, peritoneal dissemination, hepatic and lymph node metastases, and undifferentiated tissue type in the UO group were significantly higher than in the PG group.

Postoperative chemotherapy in elderly patients with advanced gastric cancer.

Background/aims: The definitive efficacy of postoperative chemotherapy in elderly patients with advanced gastric cancer has not been established. The aim of this study is to evaluate prognosis in elderly patients with advanced gastric cancer and the effect of postoperative chemotherapy on prognosis.

Methodology: Fifty-three patients, 75 years of age or older who underwent curative surgery for advanced gastric cancer were divided into 14 patients with postoperative chemotherapy (chemotherapy group) and 39 patients without postoperative chemotherapy (control group).

Surgical outcome in cirrhotic patients with hepatitis C-related hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background/aims: The aim of this study was to clarify the surgical outcome in cirrhotic patients with hepatitis C-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methodology: The surgical outcome of 26 HCVAb-positive cirrhotic patients with hepatitis C antibody (the C-related HCC group) and 18 HCVAb-negative cirrhotic patients with (the non-C-related HCC group) undergoing hepatectomy for HCC were compared. The C-related HCC group was HCVAb[+], HBsAg[-] for hepatitis B surface antigen in 25 patients and HCVAb[+], HBsAg[+] in 1, and the non C-related HCC group was HCVAb[-], HBsAg[+] in 15 and HCVAb[-], HBsAg[-] in 3.

Efficacy of extended lymphadenectomy in the noncurative gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer.

Background/aims: We retrospectively analyzed clinicopathologic data on 83 patients with advanced gastric cancer who underwent noncurative gastrectomy, with respect to the relation between the extent of lymphadenectomy and survival benefit.

Methodology: These 83 patients were divided into 44 patients with limited or simple lymph node dissection (D0 in 14 and D1 in 30: Group A) and 39 patients with extended lymph node dissection (D2: Group B).

Results: The 1-year survival rate in Group B (82.

Post-operative chemotherapy in non-curative gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer.

Background/aims: The definitive effects of post-operative chemotherapy for prolonging survival in patients with non-curative gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer have not been established.

Methodology: Eighty-three patients with advanced gastric cancer who underwent non-curative gastrectomy were divided into 49 patients with post-operative chemotherapy (chemotherapy group) and 34 patients without post-operative chemotherapy (control group). Chemotherapy regimens were as follows: oral 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) alone (n = 22), intravenous mitomycin (MMC) plus 5-FU (n = 20), intravenous methotrexate (MTX) plus 5-FU (n = 3), intravenous cisplatin plus 5-FU (n = 2), and hepatic arterial infusion of 5-FU plus oral 5-FU (n = 2).