Perioperative Epirubicin, Oxaliplatin, and Capecitabine Chemotherapy in Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer: Safety and Feasibility in an Interim Survival Analysis

PURPOSE: Perioperative chemotherapy improves survival outcomes in locally advanced (LA) gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patients with LA gastric cancer who were offered perioperative chemotherapy consisting of epirubicin, oxaliplatin, and capecitabine (EOX) from May 2013 to December 2015 at Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai. RESULTS: Among the 268 consecutive patients in our study, 260 patients (97.0%) completed neoadjuvant chemotherapy, 200 patients (74.6%) underwent D2 lymphadenectomy, and 178 patients (66.4%) completed adjuvant chemotherapy. The median follow-up period was 17 months. For the entire cohort, the median overall survival (OS), 3-year OS rate, median progression-free survival (PFS), and 3-year PFS rate were 37 months, 64.4%, 31 months, and 40%, respectively. PFS and OS were significantly inferior in patients who presented with features of obstruction than in those who did not (P=0.0001). There was no difference in survival with respect to tumor histology (well to moderately differentiated vs. poorly differentiated, signet ring vs. non-signet ring histology) or location (proximal vs. distal). Survival was prolonged in patients with an early pathological T stage and a pathological node-negative status. In a multivariate analysis, postoperative pathological nodal status and gastric outlet obstruction on presentation significantly correlated with survival. CONCLUSIONS: EOX chemotherapy with curative resection and D2 lymphadenectomy is a suggested alternative to the existing perioperative regimens. The acceptable postoperative complication rate and relatively high resection, chemotherapy completion, and survival rates obtained in this study require further evaluation and validation in a clinical trial.

Outcomes of advanced epithelial ovarian cancer with integration of metronomic chemotherapy: An Indian rural cancer centre experience.

BACKGROUND: Paclitaxel-platinum and optimal cytoreductive surgery are the standard of care for ovarian carcinoma. Poor socioeconomic profile and therapeutic constraints in rural India poses a therapeutic challenge. AIM: To evaluate outcomes of epithelial ovarian carcinoma. OBJECTIVES: To calculate disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and factors affecting outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data of patients diagnosed as ovarian carcinoma registered between March 2009 and March 2014 were retrieved. Demographic profile, chemotherapy and response, surgery, and disease progression were collected. Patients who underwent surgery or completed three cycles of chemotherapy were selected. Kaplan-Meir survival was used to determine disease-free and OS. Log-rank test used to evaluate factors affecting outcome. RESULTS: Median follow-up is 26 months. 93/102 patients (91%) underwent cytoreductive surgery, of which 37 had primary cytoreduction (40%) while 56 had interval cytoreduction. 21/93 (23%), 57/93 (61%), and 15/93 (16%) patients were operated by local surgeons, surgeons of our hospital, and trained oncosurgeons, respectively. Induction paclitaxel-platinum was used in 35/63 (56%) patients while 28/63 patients (44%) received neoadjuvant metronomic chemotherapy. Median DFS and OS are 17 and 54 months respectively while 3 year OS of 66%. Median DFS of patients operated by oncosurgeons versus local surgeons were 22 months versus 15 months (P = 0.01), OS was 54 versus 26 months (P = 0.01).40/88 (45%) patients received maintenance metronomic therapy after adjuvant chemotherapy with median of 6 months (range 2-18 months). Patients receiving metronomic maintenance had better DFS, 18 months versus 15 months (P = 0.69). CONCLUSION: Induction therapy in ovarian carcinoma helps in selecting patients for cytoreductive surgery. Outcomes are better if operated by trained oncosurgeons. Maintenance metronomic has potential to delay disease progression.