ABSTRACT
Intraoperative radiation therapy [IORT] is a multidisciplinary approach in which residual tumors or tumor beds are directly irradiated during a surgical procedure. To evaluate its efficacy, from 1985, we conducted a prospective study including non-metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma treated by surgery, IORT [15 Grays] and postoperative external beam radiotherapy [44 Grays]. Up to 1993, 51 cases of gastric adenocarcinoma [20 pN[0] and 31 pN[1-2]] have been included in the study. Mortality and morbidity rates were not different from those of surgery alone. The overall 5 year survival rate was 59.1%, and the pN[1] N[2] 5 year survival rate was 50.6%. These promising results are comparable with those of Asian randomized studies which demonstrate the possible value of IORT in the treatment of gastric adenocarcinoma