Efficacy of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy on Locally Advanced Gastric Adenocarcinoma in Terms of Downstaging and Resectability in a Tertiary Cancer Hospital

Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in carcinoma stomach was introduced in an effort to eliminate micro-metastasis and to improve resectablity before surgery which improves R0 resection rates. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on downstaging and resectability rate in locally advanced gastric cancer. Material & Methods: This was a single-center quasi-experimental study conducted in the Department of Surgical Oncology in collaboration with the Departments of Medical Oncology, Radiation oncology, and Pathology at the National Institute of Cancer Research and hospital, Dhaka, which is a tertiary care cancer hospital in Bangladesh, between January 2021 and June 2022.Patients with locally advanced adenocarcinoma stomach staged by contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) were randomly included in this study by purposive sampling. Patients in Group I underwent upfront surgery Patients in Group II were started on neoadjuvant chemotherapy, either XELOX or FLOT regimen. Surgery was done following the response assessment CECT. We assessed R0 resection rate, age, sex, comorbidities, tumour size, TNM stage and complications were compared between the two groups. Response to NACT was assessed in Group II. Results: The mean age of patients in groups 1 & 2 was 56 ± 11.06 and 55.70 ± 10.46 years of age respectively (p > 0.05). Majority of the respondents (55/74) were male and 19 patients (26%) were female. Male to female ratio was (24/37 &31/37) in group 1 and (31/37 & 6/37) groups respectively (p > 0.05). Out of 37 patients who received NACT, in 9 patients (24.32%) complete response was noted. Partial response was found in 20 cases (54.05%), p-value (<.0001) while a stable disease was reported in three (8.1%) cases. 5 patients (13.51%) had progressive disease. In the upfront surgery group, R0 resection was feasible in 16 (43.2%) cases, and in the NACT plus surgery group, R0 resection was done in 29 (78.4%) cases. In group 1, R1 resection was done in considerable numbers (19/37) compared to group 2 (5/37), P=0.001. Three patients (8.1%) in group 2 and one (2.7) in group 1 had irresectable lesions. Conclusion: In this study it can be concluded that neoadjuvant chemotherapy could downstage tumour and increase tumor resectability rate in patients with locally-advanced gastric adenocarcinoma. However, further studies are necessary to confirm the effect of this modality on patients’ overall survival. We await survival analysis to further validate the role of NACT.

The 10-year outcome and prognostic factors of laparoscopic D 2 radical distal gastrectomy for locally advanced gastric cancer: a CLASS multicenter study / 中华消化外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the 10-year outcome and prognostic factors of laparo-scopic D 2 radical distal gastrectomy for locally advanced gastric cancer. Methods:The retrospec-tive cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 652 patients with locally advanced gastric cancer who were admitted to 16 hospitals from the multicenter database of laparoscopic gastric cancer surgery in the Chinese Laparoscopic Gastrointestinal Surgery Study (CLASS) Group, including 214 cases in the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, 191 cases in Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 52 cases in Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University, 49 cases in West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 43 cases in Xijing Hospital of Air Force Medical University, 25 cases in Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, 14 cases in the First Medical Center of the Chinese PLA General Hospital, 12 cases in No.989 Hospital of PLA, 12 cases in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 10 cases in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 9 cases in the First People's Hospital of Foshan, 7 cases in Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, 7 cases in Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital, 3 cases in Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, 2 cases in Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 2 cases in Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, from February 2004 to December 2010 were collected. There were 442 males and 210 females, aged (57±12)years. All patients underwent laparoscopic D 2 radical distal gastrectomy. Observation indicators: (1) surgical situations; (2) postoperative pathological examination; (3) postoperative recovery and complications; (4) follow-up; (5) prognostic factors analysis. Follow-up was conducted by outpatient examination and telephone interview to detect the tumor recurrence and metastasis, postoperative survival of patients up to March 2020. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M( Q1, Q3) or M(range). Count data were described as absolute numbers or percen-tages, and comparison between groups was conducted using the chi-square test. Comparison of ordinal data was analyzed using the rank sum test. The life table method was used to calculate survival rates and the Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw survival curves. Log-Rank test was used for survival analysis. Univariate and multivariate analyses were analyzed using the COX hazard regression model. Results:(1) Surgical situations: among 652 patients, 617 cases underwent D 2 lymph node dissection and 35 cases underwent D 2+ lymph node dissection. There were 348 cases with Billroth Ⅱ anastomosis, 218 cases with Billroth Ⅰ anastomosis, 25 cases with Roux-en-Y anastomosis and 61 cases with other digestive tract reconstruction methods. Twelve patients had combined visceral resection. There were 569 patients with intraoperative blood transfusion and 83 cases without blood transfusion. The operation time of 652 patients was 187(155,240)minutes and volume of intraoperative blood loss was 100(50,150)mL. (2) Postoperative pathological examina-tion: the maximum diameter of tumor was (4.5±2.0)cm of 652 patients. The number of lymph node dissected of 652 patients was 26(19,35), in which the number of lymph node dissected was >15 of 570 cases and ≤15 of 82 cases. The number of metastatic lymph node was 4(1,9). The proximal tumor margin was (4.8±1.6)cm and the distal tumor margin was (4.5±1.5)cm. Among 652 patients, 255 cases were classified as Borrmann type Ⅰ-Ⅱ, 334 cases were classified as Borrmann type Ⅲ-Ⅳ, and 63 cases had missing Borrmann classification data. The degree of tumor differentiation was high or medium in 171 cases, low or undifferentiated in 430 cases, and the tumor differentiation data was missing in 51 cases. There were 123, 253 and 276 cases in pathological stage T2, T3 and T4a, respectively. There were 116, 131, 214 and 191 cases in pathological stage N0, N1, N2 and N3, respectively. There were 260 and 392 cases in pathological TNM stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ, respectively. (3) Postoperative recovery and complications: the time to postoperative first out-of-bed activities, time to postoperative first flatus, time to the initial liquid food intake, duration of postoperative hospital stay of 652 patients were 3(2,4)days, 4(3,5)days, 5(4,6)days, 10(9,13)days, respectively. Among 652 patients, 69 cases had postoperative complications. Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ, grade Ⅲa, grade Ⅲb, and grade Ⅳa complications occurred in 60, 3, 5 and 1 cases, respectively (some patients could have multiple complications). The duodenal stump leakage was the most common surgical complication, with the incidence of 3.07%(20/652). Respiratory complication was the most common systemic complication, with the incidence of 2.91%(19/652). All the 69 patients were recovered and discharged successfully after treatment. (4) Follow-up: 652 patients were followed up for 110-193 months, with a median follow-up time of 124 months. There were 298 cases with postoperative recurrence and metastasis. Of the 255 patients with the time to postoperative recurrence and metastasis ≤5 years, there were 21 cases with distant metastasis, 69 cases with peritoneal metastasis, 37 cases with local recurrence, 52 cases with multiple recurrence and metastasis, 76 cases with recurrence and metastasis at other locations. The above indicators were 5, 9, 10, 4, 15 of the 43 patients with the time to postoperative recurrence and metastasis >5 years. There was no significant difference in the type of recurrence and metastasis between them ( χ2=5.52, P>0.05). Cases in pathological TNM stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ were 62 and 193 of the patients with the time to postoperative recurrence and metastasis ≤5 years, versus 23 and 20 of the patients with the time to postoperative recurrence and metastasis >5 years, showing a significant difference in pathological TNM staging between them ( χ2=15.36, P<0.05). Cases in pathological stage T2, T3, T4a were 42, 95, 118 of the patients with the time to postoperative recurrence and metastasis ≤5 years, versus 9, 21, 13 of the patients with the time to postoperative recurrence and metastasis >5 years, showing no significant difference in pathological T staging between them ( Z=-1.80, P>0.05). Further analysis showed no significant difference in cases in pathological stage T2 or T3 ( χ2=0.52, 2.08, P>0.05) but a significant difference in cases in pathological stage T4a between them ( χ2=3.84, P<0.05). Cases in pathological stage N0, N1, N2, N3 were 19, 44, 85, 107 of the patients with the time to postoperative recurrence and metastasis ≤5 years, versus 12, 5, 18, 8 of the patients with the time to postoperative recurrence and metastasis >5 years, showing a significant difference in pathological N staging between them ( Z=-3.34, P<0.05). Further analysis showed significant differences in cases in pathological stage N0 and N3 ( χ2=16.52, 8.47, P<0.05) but no significant difference in cases in pathological stage N1 or N2 ( χ2=0.85, 1.18, P>0.05). The median overall survival time was 81 months after surgery and 10-year overall survival rate was 46.1% of 652 patients. The 10-year overall survival rates of patients in TNM stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ were 59.6% and 37.5%, respectively, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=35.29, P<0.05). In further analysis, the 10-year overall survival rates of patients in pathological TNM stage ⅡA, ⅡB, ⅢA, ⅢB and ⅢC were 65.6%, 55.8%, 46.9%, 37.1% and 24.0%, respectively, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=55.06, P<0.05). The 10-year overall survival rates of patients in patholo-gical stage T2, T3 and T4a were 55.2%, 46.5% and 41.5%, respectively, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=8.39, P<0.05). The 10-year overall survival rates of patients in patholo-gical stage N0, N1, N2 and N3 were 63.7%, 56.2%, 48.5% and 26.4%, respectively, showing a signifi-cant difference between them ( χ2=54.89, P<0.05). (5) Prognostic factors analysis: results of univariate analysis showed that age, maximum diameter of tumor, degree of tumor differentiation as low or undifferentiated, pathological TNM staging, pathological T staging, pathological stage N2 or N3, post-operative chemotherapy were related factors for the 10-year overall survival rate of locally advanced gastric cancer patients undergoing laparoscopic D 2 radical distal gastrectomy ( hazard ratio=1.45, 1.64, 1.37, 2.05, 1.30, 1.68, 3.08, 0.56, 95% confidence interval as 1.15-1.84, 1.32-2.03, 1.05-1.77, 1.62-2.59, 1.05-1.61, 1.17-2.42, 2.15-4.41, 0.44-0.70, P<0.05). Results of multivariate analysis showed that maximum diameter of tumor >4 cm, low-differentiated or undifferentiated tumor, pathological TNM stage Ⅲ were independent risk factors for the 10-year overall survival rate of locally advanced gastric cancer patients undergoing laparoscopic D 2 radical distal gastrectomy ( hazard ratio=1.48,1.44, 1.81, 95% confidence interval as 1.19-1.84, 1.11-1.88, 1.42-2.30, P<0.05) and postoperative chemotherapy was a independent protective factor for the 10-year overall survi-val rate of locally advanced gastric cancer patients undergoing laparoscopic D 2 radical distal gastrec-tomy ( hazard ratio=0.57, 95% confidence interval as 045-0.73, P<0.05). Conclusions:Laparoscopic assisted D 2 radical distal gastrectomy for locally advanced gastric cancer has satisfactory 10-year oncologic outcomes. A high proportion of patients in pathological TNM stage Ⅲ, pathological stage T4a, pathological stage N3 have the time to postoperative recurrence and metastasis ≤5 years, whereas a high proportion of patients in pathological TNM stage Ⅱ or pathological stage N0 have the time to postoperative recurrence and metastasis >5 years. Maximum diameter of tumor >4 cm, low-differentiated or undifferentiated tumor, pathological TNM stage Ⅲ are independent risk factors for the 10-year overall survival rate of locally advanced gastric cancer patients undergoing laparos-copic D 2 radical distal gastrectomy. Postoperative chemotherapy is a independent protective factor for the 10-year overall survival rate of locally advanced gastric cancer patients undergoing laparos-copic D 2 radical distal gastrectomy.

Meta-analysis of apatinib combined with S-1 for advanced gastric cancer / 中华内分泌外科杂志

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the combination of apatinib and S-1 for treatment of patients with advanced gastric cancer, in order to provide clinical therapy reference for advanced gastric cancer.Methods:Clinical trials were retrieved from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) , Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database (CSTJ) , Wanfang Medical Network, VIP Journal Database (VIP) , China Biomedical Literature Database (CBMdisc) , Cochrane Library, PubMed, etc., searched from Jan. 2010 to Oct. 2019. The experimental group were given apatinib combined with S-1, and the control group received S-1 monotherapy. Two sets of RCT in patients with advanced gastric cancer were collected. Researchers first screened literature, data extraction and to assess the risk of bias, then made Meta analysis with RevMan5.3 software, the test level was α=0.05.Results:A total of 12 Meta analysis of randomized RCT were selected from the group, including 561 cases of patients. The results showed that objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) of the experimental group was higher than those of the control group [ (RD=0.16, 95% CI: 0.08-0.23, P<0.0001; RD=0.21,95% CI: 0.14-0.29, P<0.00001) ]; There was no significant difference in nausea and vomiting, hand-foot syndrome, fatigue, diarrhea, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, leukopenia, neuro-toxicity and mucositis between the two groups. The rate of hypertension, proteinuria, hemoglobin of the experimental group decrease was higher than that of the control group [ (OR=6.21, 95% CI: 1.92-20.13, P=0.002; OR = 10.57,95% CI: 5.06-22.04, P<0.00001; OR=2.84, 95% CI:1.25-6.48, P=0.01) ]; and there was a significant heterogeneity in hypertension among them ( P=0.008, I 2=63) . Conclusion:Compared with S-1 alone, the treatment effect of S-1 combined with targeted drug apatinib can significantly improve ORR and DCR of patients with advanced gastric cancer.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Combined with Chemotherapy in Prevention and Treatment of Recurrence and Metastasis of Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer After Radical Resection: A Meta-analysis / 肿瘤防治研究

Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) combined with chemotherapy in the prevention and treatment of postoperative recurrence and metastasis of locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) by meta-analysis. Moreover, we evaluated the efficacy of TCM on the quality of life, immune indexes, and toxic and side effects during adjuvant chemotherapy. Methods The CNKI, Wanfang, PubMed, and other databases were searched by computer. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched. After literature screening and data extraction, Review Manager 5.3 software provided by Cochrane was used for meta-analysis. Results A total of 18 RCTs were included. Compared with chemotherapy alone, TCM combined with chemotherapy could improve the KPS score and CD3+ and CD4+/CD8+ index levels. The incidence rates of postoperative leucopenia, hemoglobin reduction, thrombocytopenia, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and neurotoxicity were reduced. In terms of postoperative QLQ-C30 score, abnormal liver function, and abnormal renal function, the incidence of TCM combined chemotherapy was similar to that of chemotherapy alone, with no statistical difference. Compared with chemotherapy alone, TCM combined chemotherapy could reduce the 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year cumulative recurrence and metastasis rates and prolong the disease-free survival time. Conclusion Compared with chemotherapy alone in adjuvant chemotherapy, TCM combined chemotherapy could improve the immune level and KPS score of LACC patients after surgery, reduce the incidence of adverse reactions, as well as reduce the recurrence and metastasis rate of LAGC after surgery and DFS could be improved.

Laparoscopía de etapificación y citología peritoneal en cáncer gástrico: descripción de la técnica quirúrgica / Staging laparoscopy and peritoneal cytology in gastric cancer: technique description and review of the literature

Resumen Introducción: El cáncer gástrico continúa representando la más alta mortalidad por cáncer en hombres en Chile. En una revisión sistemática, evidenciaron que en el 59% de los pacientes que se catalogaron como M0 mediante diferentes estudios como TC, resonancia magnética y PET, se detectaron metástasis a la laparoscopia de etapificación. El objetivo de este estudio es describir la técnica quirúrgica de esta laparoscopía incluida la citología peritoneal y una revisión de la literatura en cuanto a sus indicaciones y posibilidad de cambio de conducta. Materiales y Método: Se realizó la búsqueda de artículos vía MED - LINE/PubMed (U.S.A. National Library of Medicine), Cochrane Library, Elsevier, SciELO; no se aplicó análisis estadístico, se incluyeron 23 referencias relacionadas al tema y materias afines internacionales y nacionales. El procedimiento que describiremos será la laparoscopia diagnóstica y la citología de líquido peritoneal para estudio anatomopatológico. Discusión y Conclusiones: La laparoscopía de etapificación, logra un cambio de conducta en un 20% aproximadamente de los casos, pero hacen faltan más estudios de validación de esta en los centros que tratan dicha enfermedad en el país.

Introduction: Gastric cancer continues to represent the highest mortality from cancer in men in Chile. In a systematic review, they showed that 59% of the patients who were classified as M0 by different studies such as CT, magnetic resonance imaging and PET, metastases were detected at staging laparoscopy. The objective of this study is to describe the surgical technique of staging laparoscopy including peritoneal cytology and a review of the literature regarding its indications and the possibility of behavior change. Materials and Method: Articles were searched via MEDLINE/PubMed (U.S.A. National Library of Medicine), Cochrane Library, Elsevier, SciELO, no statistical analysis was applied, 23 references related to the topic and related international and national subjects were included. The procedure to be described will be diagnostic laparoscopy and peritoneal fluid cytology for pathological study. Discussion and Conclusions: Staging laparoscopy achieve a change in behavior in approximately 20% of the cases, but more validation studies are needed in the centers that treat this disease in the country.

La importancia de la determinación del HER2 en el cáncer gástrico avanzado: a propósito de un caso clínico / Importance of HER2 status determination in advanced gastric cancer: A case study

Resumen El cáncer gástrico avanzado es una entidad que incluye dos situaciones clínicas distintas: el cáncer gástrico localmente avanzado no resecable y la enfermedad metastásica, cuyo tratamiento estándar es la quimioterapia. La sobreexpresión del receptor 2 del factor de crecimiento epidérmico humano (HER2) se puede presentar en esta enfermedad de un 9 % a un 38 % y ha sido el primer biomarcador predictivo utilizado para el tratamiento dirigido con trastuzumab en pacientes con tumores gástricos y de la región gastroesofágica avanzados. Se presenta en este artículo el caso de un paciente con cáncer gástrico avanzado con HER2 positivo manejado con quimioterapia convencional más trastuzumab como terapia blanco con adecuada respuesta clínica.

Abstract Advanced gastric cancer (AGC) is an entity that encompasses two distinct clinical situations: locally advanced unresectable gastric cancer and metastatic disease, with chemotherapy as the standard treatment. HER2 overexpression can occur in 9% to 38% of the cases with this disease and has been the first predictive biomarker used for trastuzumab-targeted therapy in patients with advanced gastric and gastroesophageal tumors. This article presents a patient with AGC and positive HER2 treated with conventional chemotherapy plus trastuzumab as targeted therapy with adequate clinical response.

Prognosis and Related Factors of Patients with Pathological Complete Response after Neoadjuvant Therapy for Gastric Cancer / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To investigate the related factors of pathological complete response(pCR)of patients with gastric cancer treated by neoadjuvant therapy and resection,and to analyze the risk factors of prognosis. Methods The clinical and pathological data of 490 patients with gastric cancer who received neoadjuvant therapy followed by radical gastrectomy from January to December in 2008 were retrospectively analyzed.Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the risk factors affecting pCR and prognosis. Results Among the 490 patients,41 achieved pCR,and the overall pCR rate was 8.3%(41/490).The pCR rate was 16.0% in the neoadjuvant chemoradiation group and 6.4% in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group.The results of multivariate analysis showed that neoadjuvant chemoradiation(

Regulatory Effect of Modified Liu Junzitang on Immune Function, Nutritional Status and Intestinal Microecology in Advanced Gastric Cancer Patients with Syndrome of Deficiency of Qi and Blood / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the regulatory effect of modified Liu Junzitang on the immune function， nutritional status and intestinal microecology in advanced gastric cancer patients with syndrome of deficiency of Qi and blood. Method:The 86 advanced gastric cancer patients with syndrome of deficiency of Qi and blood were randomly divided into control group and observation group according to their admission numbers， with 43 cases in each group. The control group was given Yiqi Yangxue oral liquid on the basis of basic treatment while the observation group was given modified Liu Junzitang. After 4 weeks， compare the clinical efficacy of two groups of patients， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome score， gastrointestinal function recovery， adverse reaction and quality of life， immune function， T cell subsets CD3⁺， CD4⁺， CD8⁺， C₃ and C₄ levels， immunoglobulin A （IgA）， immunoglobulin G （IgG）， immunoglobulin M （IgM）， nutritional status： albumin （propagated）， prealbumin （PA）， serum total protein （TP） and hemoglobin （Hb） content changes， the intestinal micro ecology： <italic>Bifidobacterium</italic>， <italic>Lactobacillus</italic>， <italic>Enterococcus aureus</italic>， <italic>Escherichia coli</italic> content changes. Result:The total effective rate of the observation group was 95.35% （41/43）， which was significantly higher than 79.07% （34/43） of the control group （<italic>χ²</italic>=5.108，<italic>P</italic><0.05）， after treatment， the TCM syndromes such as dizziness， pale complexion， palpitation， shortness of breath and fatigue in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group （<italic>P</italic><0.05）， the bowel sound recovery， exhaust and defecation time of the observation group were significantly lower than those of the control group （<italic>P</italic><0.05）， the quality of life scores in the observation group， such as the nature-to-human correspondence， form and spirit integration， specific modules， functional areas， and overall health score， were significantly higher than those in control group （<italic>P</italic><0.05）， the CD3⁺， CD4⁺， CD4⁺/CD8⁺， C₃， C₄， IgA， immune function indexes such as IgG and IgM were significantly higher than those of the control group， and the CD8⁺ level was lower than which of control group （<italic>P</italic><0.05）， the nutritional status levels such as Alb， PA， TP and Hb in the observation group were significantly higher than those of the control group （<italic>P</italic><0.05）， <italic>Bifidobacterium</italic>， <italic>Lactobacillus</italic>， and <italic>E. faecalis </italic>in the observation group were higher than those in the control group， and <italic>E. coli</italic> was lower than the control group （<italic>P</italic><0.05）， the adverse reaction rate of the observation group was 11.63% （5/43） and the control group was 16.28% （7/43） ， and there was no statistical difference between two groups. Conclusion:Modified Liu Junzitang has a good clinical effect on advanced gastric cancer patients with syndrome of deficiency of Qi and blood. It can improve TCM syndromes and gastrointestinal function， improve quality of life， and its mechanism is related to improving immune function， enhancing nutritional status， and improving intestinal microecology， and it has good safety.

Efficacy and Safety of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Therapy on Advanced Gastric Cancer or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer: A Meta-analysis / 肿瘤防治研究

Objective To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer or gastroesophageal junction cancer (GC/GEJC). Methods CNKI, Wanfang, PubMed, EMBASE, ClinicalTrials, Cochrane Library and other databases were searched to collect the clinical trials of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of advanced GC/GEJC. The retrieval time was from the inception to Nov. 2019. Outcome measures mainly included ORR, DCR, PFS, OS and toxicities. The adoption rate difference and hazard ratio were effect measures. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software. Results We included seven literatures with a total of 1949 patients. Meta-analysis showed that for the patients with advanced GC/GEJC, the second-line or later immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy improved the overall survival rate at 12 and 18 months; the OS of the patients was prolonged, compared with chemotherapy/placebo therapy (all P < 0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions of any grade or ≥grade 3 caused by immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy was lower than that caused by chemotherapy/placebo. Conclusion Immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment could improve survival endpoints in some patients with advanced GC/GEJC, and the incidence of common adverse reactions is low.

mFOLFOX-based Chemotherapy Can Augment Survival in Advanced Gastric Cancer Patient with Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation

ABSTRACT Although gastric cancer is a frequent cancer type, disseminated intravascular coagulation is a very rare but serious complication of this disease. We report a 65-year-old man who complained of weight loss, nausea and vomiting, fatigue and dyspnoea for three days. He was diagnosed as having advanced gastric cancer complicated with disseminated intravascular coagulation, which was successfully treated with mFOLFOX chemotherapy regimen. After one cycle of mFOLFOX therapy, thrombocytopenia was improved and serum lactate dehydrogenase levels decreased. Remarkable remission was seen. After 12 cycles of chemotherapy, remarkable remission was seen in the primary tumour and multiple metastatic bone lesions.

Para-aortic lymph node tracing and dissection in advanced gastric cancer: Effectiveness of carbon nanoparticles injection through the no. 12b lymph node

Background and Objectives: The relative effectiveness of tracers in guiding para-aortic lymph node dissection (PAND) in advanced gastric cancer is undefined. In this single-center, prospective study, we aimed to discuss the effectiveness of such tracers. Materials and Methods: Between January 2015 and January 2016, 90 consecutive patients with stage T4a gastric cancer were evenly assigned to receive 0.2 mL of carbon nanoparticles (a), methylene blue (b), or no tracer (c) injection through no. 12b lymph nodes before PAND. Results: There was no difference in the baseline characteristics between the three groups. Group A vs. B or C had a higher number of dissected lymph nodes (34.1 ± 9.8, 25.5 ± 5.5, and 22.6 ± 3.7; P < 0.001; B vs. C: P =0.321) and no. 16a2/b1 para-aortic lymph nodes (PANs; 11.8 ± 4.8, 7.0 ± 1.2, and 5.5 ± 1.2; P < 0.001; B vs. C: P =0.178) and similar rates of lymph node metastasis (20.9 ± 17.5%, 19.1 ± 15.1%, and 23.6 ± 19.7%; P = 0.511), positive dissected PAN (23.3% [7/30], 16.7% [5/30], and 16.7% [5/30]), surgery duration (252.9 + 35.4, 244.4 ± 29.0, and 250.3 + 29.9 min; P = 0.421), and blood loss (266.7 ± 115.5, 270.0 ± 82.6, and 260.0 ± 116.3 mL, P = 0.933). There was no common bile duct damage by tracer injection, and one case of duodenal stump fistula, one abdominal infection, and two anastomotic leakages in Groups A–C, respectively, were treated successfully. Conclusions: In advanced gastric cancer treatment, carbon nanoparticle injection into no. 12b nodes appears to better trace no. 16a2/b1 PAN

Multicenter Retrospective Analysis of Intraperitoneal Paclitaxel and Systemic Chemotherapy for Advanced Gastric Cancer with Peritoneal Metastasis

PURPOSE: The objective of the present retrospective analysis was to describe the experience of intraperitoneal (IP) paclitaxel and systemic chemotherapy in patients with peritoneal metastasis (PM) of advanced gastric cancer (AGC) in a multicenter setting in Korea.MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of patients with AGC, who were diagnosed with PM between January 2015 and December 2018, were reviewed. IP catheter was placed in the pouch of Douglas and was used for the administration of IP paclitaxel chemotherapy.RESULTS: We reviewed the clinical outcomes of IP paclitaxel and systemic chemotherapy administration in 82 patients at six institutions in Korea. Mean number of IP chemotherapy cycles was 6.6. The mean peritoneal cancer index (PCI) was 21.9. Postoperative complications related to IP catheter and port were observed in 15 patients. The overall median survival was 20.0 months. A significant difference was observed in the survival rate according to the ascites grade (grade I and II, 24.1 months; grade III and IV, 15.3 months; P=0.014) and PCI grade (grade I, 25.6 months; grade II and III, 16.3 months; P=0.023).CONCLUSIONS: The feasibility of IP paclitaxel and systemic chemotherapy administration was demonstrated in this experience-based retrospective analysis suggesting that the procedure is beneficial in patients with PM of AGC.

Status and progress in the treatment for locally resectable progressive gastric cancer and metastatic gastric cancer / 中南大学学报(医学版)

For resectable gastric cancer, although radical surgery is still the main treatment, methods of operation and the curative effect of operation are still in the stage of exploration for metastatic gastric cancer. Radiotherapy, chemotherapy and molecular targeted therapy also play an important role in prolonging the survival period of patients with gastric cancer. Postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy can prolong the survival time, but for patients with locally advanced gastric cancer, the preoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy can also further improve the survival period of patients compared with direct operation. In addition, with the development and using of molecular targeted drugs, such as antiangiogenic agents, immunosuppressive drugs and so on, the survival period of patients with gastric cancer has been further extended.

Application of laparoscopic exploration combined with abdominal exfoliative cytology in the diagnosis and treatment of locally advanced gastric cancer / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Objective@#To explore the clinical significance of laparoscopic exploration combined with abdominal exfoliative cytology in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with locally advanced gastric cancer.@*Methods@#Inclusion criteria: (1) cancer confirmed by gastroscopy and pathology without preoperative anti-tumor treatment; (2) no distant metastases found in preoperative imaging examinations; (3) patients without surgical contraindications and being tolerant to surgery; (4) patients were willing to undergo laparoscopic exploration and abdominal exfoliative cytology examination, and signed informed consent. A retrospective cohort study method was used to collect and analyze the clinicopathological data of 225 patients with advanced gastric cancer based on the above inclusion criteria from a prospective, multicenter, open, randomized controlled phase III clinical trial (registration No. NCT01516944) conducted between February 2012 and December 2018 in The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, including 162 males and 63 females with age ranged from 23 to 78 years old. Forty-five patients (20.0%) were classified as Borrmann type I to II, and 180 (80.0%) were classified as type III to IV. All the patients underwent laparoscopy and peritoneal lavage cytology under general anesthesia. Laparoscopic exploration sequence: left and right diaphragm→liver and spleen→parietal peritoneum→pelvic cavity→greater omentum, small intestine, mesentery→transverse colon mesentery →stomach. Contents of exploration: (1) with or without ascites; (2) whether metastatic lesions existed in the peritoneum, mesentery, omentum and Douglas pouch; (3) whether metastasis existed on the liver surface; (4) whether the gastric lymph nodes were swollen; (5) whether infiltration occurred on the gastric serosa surface; (6) whether gastric wall was stiff. The left and right subphrenic, the abdominal and pelvic peritoneum, and the mesentery were rinsed with 500 ml of sterilized normal saline. Position of the reverse Trendelenburg was used in the Douglas pouch. The peritoneal lavage fluid under the liver and spleen fossa was collected. Cytological examination was carried out for exfoliative tumor cells. Evaluation criteria: (1) peritoneal metastasis (P): P0 meant no peritoneal metastasis, P1 meant peritoneal metastasis; (2) free peritoneal cancer cells (CY): CY0 meant no cancer cells in peritoneal lavage fluid cytology, CY1 meant cancer cells in peritoneal lavage fluid cytology. The results of patients undergoing laparoscopic exploration combined with abdominal exfoliative cytology, treatment options and prognosis were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the survival rate and a survival curve was drawn. Log-rank test was used for survival analysis.@*Results@#After laparoscopic exploration in 225 patients, clinical staging was corrected in 68 (30.2%) patients, of whom 7 (3.1%) downstaged and 61 (27.1%) increased in staging. Of 164 patients evaluated as P0CY0 after the first laparoscopy and peritoneal cytology examination, 126 underwent radical D2 surgery, and the other 38 patients were found to have later local lesions or extensive fusion of local lymph nodes, so then received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Twenty-nine patients evaluated as P1CY0 or P1CY1 and 32 patients as P0CY1 underwent intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy+conversion therapy, and then a second laparoscopic exploration was performed to determine the treatment plan. In total, the original treatment regimens were changed after laparoscopic exploration in 99(44.0%) cases. The follow-up period ended in January 2019. The overall 2-year survival rate of 225 patients was 64.0%. As for those who were evaluated as P0CY0, P0CY1 and P1CY0-1 after the first laparoscopic exploration, the 2-year overall survival rate was 70.7%, 65.6% and 24.1%, respectively (P=0.002). The stratified analysis showed that among 180 patients with stage III tumor, after laparoscopic exploration combined with abdominal exfoliative cytology, 125 patients were found to be P0CY0, 28 were P0CY1, and 27 were P1CY0-1, whose 2-year overall survival rates were 70.4%, 64.3%, and 29.6% respectively, and the difference among these 3 groups was statistically significant (P=0.009).@*Conclusion@#Laparoscopic exploration combined with abdominal exfoliative cytology in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer has important clinical guiding significance in improving accurate staging, treatment options and prognosis evaluation, and can avoid non-therapeutic open-close abdominal surgery.

Outcome of Chemotherapeutic Regimens Cisplatin and 5-Fluorouracil vs Weekly 5-Fluorouracil in Advanced Gastric Cancer

Introduction: Gastric cancer is the second leading cause ofcancer death worldwide, with a 5-year survival rate of lessthan 20%. About 25% of patients with gastric cancer presentwith disseminated disease and more than half of those withapparently localized disease recur within 5 years. Study aimedto evaluate the response rate, median PFS, overall survivaland toxicity to 3 Weekly Cisplatin/5-Fluorouracil Vs Weekly5-Fluorouracil in patients with advanced gastric cancer.Material and Methods: Patients were recruited forchemotherapy with Cisplatin 75mg/mg2 in divided dosesand 5-Fluorouracil 750mg/m2 for 3 days in every 21 daysfor 6 cycles in one arm and 20 patients for treatment withWeekly 5- Fluorouracil 500mg for 16 weeks. Within twomonths of completion of chemotherapy, CT abdomen wasdone to compare with the baseline CT abdomen to assess theresponse rate using RESIST criteria Version V1.1. Also theimprovement in ECOG PS was ascertained as an endpoint.Results: In the Cisplatin /5FU arm had an overall response rateof 20%, median PFS of 6 months,45% had a partial response(PR), 10% had stable disease (SD) 25% had progression(PD), 20% achieved CR and more of haematological andnon-hematological toxicity. In the 5FU arm, 35% had stabledisease (SD),40% had progression (PD) 5% achieved CR andless of haematological and non-hematological toxicity.Conclusion: In advanced gastric cancer, Cisplatin /5FU hadmore response rate, more median PFS and more toxicity.Weekly 5FU is better tolerable regimen with

Actual compliance to adjuvant chemotherapy in gastric cancer

PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate the actual compliance with chemotherapy and analyze several factors affecting the compliance in patients with gastric cancer. METHODS: From February 2012 to December 2014, we collected data of patients with gastric cancer who received adjuvant chemotherapy (TS-1 monotherapy or XELOX: capecitabine/oxaliplatin) in Korea. RESULTS: We collected data of 1,089 patients from 31 institutions. The completion rate and dose reduction rate by age (≥60 years vs. <60 years) were 57.5% vs. 76.8% (P < 0.001) and 17.9% vs. 21.3% (P = 0.354); by body mass index (BMI) (≥23 kg/m2 vs. <23 kg/m2) were 70.2% vs. 63.2% (P = 0.019) and 19.2% vs. 19.9% (P = 0.987), respectively. The compliance by American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status (ASA PS) classification was as follows: completion rate was 74.4%, 62.8%, and 60% (P = 0.001) and the dose reduction rate was 18.4%, 20.7%, and 17.8% (P = 0.946) in ASA PS classification I, II, and III, respectively. The completion rate of TS-1 and XELOX was 65.9% vs. 70.3% (P = 0.206) and the dose reduction rate was 15.7% vs. 33.6% (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the completion rate of chemotherapy by surgical oncologists and medical oncologists was 69.5% vs. 63.2% (P = 0.028) and the dose reduction rate was 17.4% vs. 22.3% (P = 0.035), respectively. CONCLUSION: The compliance was lower in patients who were older than 60 years, had BMI <23 kg/m2, and had higher ASA PS classification. Furthermore, the patients showed higher compliance when they received chemotherapy from surgical oncologists rather than from medical oncologists.

Effect of grain-moxibustion on neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and quality of life in patients with advanced gastric cancer / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of grain-moxibustion at Zusanli (ST 36) and Weishu (BL 21) on neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and quality of life (QOL) in patients with advanced gastric cancer.@*METHODS@#Sixty patients with advanced gastric cancer were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 30 cases in each one. In the control group, conventional chemotherapy regimen combined with symptomatic treatment，such as antiemetic, acid-suppressive, liver-protecting drugs. On the basis of the treatment in the control group, grain-moxibustion was applied at Zusanli (ST 36) and Weishu (BL 21) in the observation group, 9 cones for each acupoint, once a day for a total of 90 days. The levels of NLR were observed before and after treatment, and the clinical efficacy and quality of life were evaluated in the two groups.@*RESULTS@#After treatment, the value of NLR in the observation group was significantly lower than before treatment (0.05), and the descend range of observation group was larger than the control group (0.05). After treatment, the QOL in the observation group was improved in diarrhea, loss of appetite, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, general health states (0.05), and the observation group was superior to the control group in fatigue, sleep disorder, loss of appetite, diarrhea and general health states after treatment (<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Grain-moxibustion at Zusanli (ST 36) and Weishu (BL 21) can decrease NLR and improve QOL of patients with advanced gastric cancer.

Prognostic Value of Metabolic Information in Advanced Gastric Cancer Using Preoperative ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT / 대한핵의학회잡지

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the usefulness of semiquantitative and volumetric PET parameters for predicting prognosis in patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC).METHODS: We enrolled 213 patients who underwent ¹⁸F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT) prior to curative surgery for AGC. Maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and tumor-to-liver uptake ratio (TLR) were measured in all patients. Metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis were measured in volume-measurable patients. For further quantification of FDG uptake, we developed PET prognostic scores by combining SUVmax and MTV (1: low SUVmax/low MTV; 2: high SUVmax/low MTV; 3: high SUVmax/high MTV). Comparison of PET parameters between recurrence and non-recurrence groups was performed. Univariate and multivariate analyses for recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were subsequently performed.RESULTS: The recurrence rate was 32.4% (69/213 patients). Mean SUVmax and mean MTV of the recurrence group were significantly higher than those of the non-recurrence group (p = 0.026 and p = 0.025). TLR showed marginal significance (p = 0.051). In multivariate analysis for RFS including all patients, SUVmax (p = 0.022), TLR (p = 0.010), and PET score (p = 0.003) were independent prognostic factors. In post hoc analysis of PET score, significant differences in RFS were observed between PET scores 2 and 3 as well as scores 1 and 3. No significant difference in RFS was observed between scores 1 and 2. Only PET score was statistically significant for OS in univariate analysis. None of the PET parameters were statistically significant for OS in multivariate analysis.CONCLUSION: High SUVmax and high MTV of the primary tumor suggest a high risk of recurrence for AGC patients. Even if SUVmax is similar, the prognosis may vary depending on MTV. Combining PET parameters results in a better prediction for prognosis.

Treatment Patterns and Changes in Quality of Life during First-Line Palliative Chemotherapy in Korean Patients with Advanced Gastric Cancer / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate chemotherapy patterns and changes in quality of life (QOL) during first-line palliative chemotherapy for Korean patients with unresectable or metastatic/recurrent gastric cancer (GC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thiswas a non-interventional, multi-center, prospective, observational study of 527 patients in Korea. QOL assessments were conducted using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaires (QLQ)-C30 and QLQ-STO22 every 3 months over a 12-month period during first-line palliative chemotherapy. The specific chemotherapy regimens were selected by individual clinicians. RESULTS: Most patients (93.2%) received combination chemotherapy (mainly fluoropyrimidine plus platinum) as their first-line palliative chemotherapy. The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 8.2 and 14.8 months, respectively. Overall, “a little” changes (differences of 5-10 points from baseline)were observed in some of the functioning or symptom scales; none of the QOL scales showed either “moderate” or “very much” change (i.e., ≥ 11 point difference from baseline). When examining the best change in each QOL domain from baseline, scales related to some aspects of functioning, global health status/QOL, and most symptoms revealed significant improvements (p < 0.05). Throughout the course of first-line palliative chemotherapy, most patients' QOL was maintained to a similar degree, regardless of their actual response to chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: This observational study provides important information on the chemotherapy patterns and QOL changes in Korean patientswith advanced GC. Overall, first-line palliative chemotherapy was found to maintain QOL, and most parameters showed an improvement compared with the baseline at some point during the course.

Dynamic study of immunoregulatory factors and tumor markers in patients with advanced gastric cancer before and after chemotherapy / 中国综合临床

Objective To analyze the dynamic changes of immunoregulatory factors and tumor markers before and after chemotherapy in patients with advanced gastric cancer.Methods From October 2015 to February 2018,58 patients with chemotherapy AGC in our hospital were selected as gastric cancer group.According to the efficacy of chemotherapy they were divided into effective group, stable group and ineffective group.Meanwhile,30 healthy persons were selected as normal group.The immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG,IgM), T lymphocyte subsets ( CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD4+／CD8+) and related tumor markers ( CEA, CA199,CA242) were compared before and after chemotherapy.Results The levels of IgA((2.11±0.89) g／L),IgM((10.65±4.61) g／L),IgG((1.25±0.45) g／L),CD8+((28.12±3.56)%),CEA((40.33 ±16.24) μg／L),CA199((76.34±21.56) kU／L) and CA242((29.34±9.57)k U／L) in the gastric cancer group were significantly higher than those in the normal group IgA((0.93±0.36) g／L),IgM((6.46±3.59) g／L),IgG((0.65±0.32) g／L),CD8+(( 25.02± 4.78)%),CEA((1.81± 0.55) μg／L),CA199((7.51 ±2.67) kU／L),CA242((3.35±1.21) kU／L) (t＝6.958,3.600,6.495,3.435,12.952,17.370,14.773, P＜0.05),while CD3+(( 64.12± 5.12)%),CD4+(( 34.12 ± 4.10)%),CD4+／CD8+( 1.09 ± 0.28) were lower than the normal group (CD3+(71.23±7.14)%,CD4+( 39.78±5.20)%,CD4+／CD8+( 1.47±0.40)) (t＝5.376,5.592,5.192,P＜0.05).The total effective rate of AGC patients in gastric cancer group was 79.31 %(46／58),and the ineffective rate was 20.69%(12／58).IgA,IgG,IgM,and CD8+in the effective group were significantly lower than those before chemotherapy (t＝3.925,3.745,4.036,2.661,P＜0.05), while CD3+,CD4+, CD4+／CD8+ were significantly higher than before chemotherapy ( t＝3.520, 3.077, 3.218,P＜0.05).The subcellular level of protein and T lymphocytes was significantly better than that of stable group and ineffective group (P＜0.05).The levels of tumor markers CEA,CA199 and CA242 in the effective group and stable group were significantly lower than those before chemotherapy ( P＜0.05), and significantly lower than the ineffective group ( P＜0.05).Conclusion The levels of immunoglobulins, T lymphocyte subsets and tumor markers in patients with AGC have significant changes after chemotherapy,and their levels can guide the efficacy of chemotherapy.