Endoscopic ultrasonography for restaging and predicting pathological response to advanced gastric cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy / 中华消化内镜杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) for TN restaging and predicting response to advanced gastric cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Methods A total of 22 patients,15 males and 7 females, mean age 64 (36-80 years ), with advanced gastric cancer were recruited to the study from June 2007 to December 2009 with written informed consents. All patients underwent 3 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy ( Folfox 6 ), and subsequent surgery ( R0 resction) in 3-4 weeks after chemotherapy. EUS was performed 1-2 weeks before and 1-2 weeks after chemotherapy. EUS TN staging was compared with pathological findings. The correlation of peri-chemotherapy EUS TN staging with postoperative pathological response was evaluated. Results After chemotherapy, the overall accuracy of EUS T staging was 63.6% (14/22), with overstaging (36. 4%, 8/22) more frequent than understaging (0). The overall accuracy of N staging was 54. 5% (12/22) with 4 ( 18. 2%, 4/22) overstaging and 6 ( 27. 3%, 6/22 ) understaging. EUS revealed T and/or N downstaging ( concyrrence of T and N downstaging was accounted once) after chemotherapy in 10 patients, with 9 T downstaging (4 from T3 to T2, 5 from T4 to T3) and 4 N downstaging (4 from N1 to N0). TN downstaging was correlated with pathological response, with 7 patients achieving pathological response 2 and 1 patient 3. Conclusion T and N restaging by EUS after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer is not accurate enough. However, T and/or N downstaging confirmed by EUS is well correlated with a better degree of pathological response to chemotherapy.