ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the factors affecting survival rate in gastric cancer patients with lung metastasis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Clinicopathological and follow-up data of 64 gastric cancer patients with lung metastasis treated at the Cancer Hospital of Tianjin Medical University from January 1995 to December 2011, were retrospectively analyzed. The survival rate was calculated. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to find the factors affecting survival rate using Log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards model, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The median survival time was 7 months. The 1-, 2- and 3-year survival rates were 32.8%, 18.8% and 7.8% respectively. Univariate analysis showed that primary tumor location, type of lung metastasis, lung metastasis combined with other distant metastasis and chemotherapy were significant factors for prognosis (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that bilateral lung metastasis(HR=2.093, 95% CI: 1.092-4.014, P=0.026) and lung metastasis combined with other distant metastasis (HR=2.433, 95% CI: 1.359-4.358, P=0.003) were independent risk prognostic factors, while chemotherapy was independent protective factor(HR=0.387, 95% CI: 0.211-0.710, P=0.002).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Prognosis of gastric cancer patients with lung metastasis is quite poor, especially those with bilateral lung involvement and extra-pulmonary metastasis. Systemic chemotherapy may improve the prognosis of these patients.</p>