Surgery after preoperative chemotherapy for patients with unresectable advanced gastric cancer.

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of surgery after preoperative chemotherapy for unresectable advanced gastric cancer.

Method: Twenty patients with disappeared peritoneal dissemination or decreased lymph node metastasis by systemic chemotherapy underwent surgery (group S), while 14 with peritoneal dissemination or lymph nodes >N2 (group C) received continuous systemic chemotherapy. Among group S patients, 15 underwent a curative resection (group R0), while the other 5 did not microscopically undergo a curative resection (group R1).

Results: The median survival time for all patients was 535 days. Survival time was significantly dependent on the chemotherapy response (p < 0.002). The survival period in group S was significantly longer than that in group C (median survival time 747 vs. 476 days; p < 0.02). The relapse-free survival was 299 days in group S. In particular, the survival period of patients who underwent R0 surgery by preoperative chemotherapy was significantly longer than that of group R1 patients (median survival time 794 vs. 485 days; p < 0.02). Multivariate analysis revealed that R0 surgery was a significant and independent prognostic factor.

Conclusion: Surgery was effective for advanced gastric cancer patients when performed as R0 resection following the disappearance of non-curative factors by preoperative chemotherapy.