The result of conversion surgery in gastric cancer patients with peritoneal seeding

Pathological complete response of initially unresectable multiple liver metastases achieved using combined peptide receptor radionuclide therapy and somatostatin analogs following pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor resection: a case report

BACKGROUND

Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) serves as a novel and effective treatment option for somatostatin receptor-positive unresectable liver metastases of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs). However, there are few reported cases of surgical resection for initially unresectable liver metastases of PNET that were converted to resectable after PRRT. Here we report a case where PRRT and somatostatin analogs (SSAs) led to a pathological complete response of initially unresectable multiple liver metastases following PNET resection.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 52-year-old man underwent pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy for PNET at age 40 and subsequent hepatectomies for resectable liver metastases at 44 and 47 years of age. At age 48, a follow-up examination revealed unresectable multiple liver metastases, and PRRT with 177Lu-DOTATATE therapy was initiated. After four cycles of PRRT, most liver metastases diminished according to imaging studies, and the remaining two hepatic lesions continued to shrink with additional lanreotide. Conversion surgery for liver metastases was successfully performed, revealing no viable tumor cells in tissue specimens. Seventeen months after surgery, imaging showed no detectable residual tumor or recurrence. We present a review of the relevant literature that highlights the significance of our findings.

CONCLUSIONS

This rare case highlights the pathological complete response of initially unresectable multiple liver metastases achieved by PRRT and SSAs following PNET resection, suggesting their potential as a multimodality treatment option for unresectable PNET.

Efficacy of conversion surgery on stage IV gastric cancer and its prognosis analysis

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to explore the clinical efficacy and safety of conversion surgery in the treatment of stage IV gastric cancer, and to analyze the influencing factors for the prognosis of patients.

METHODS

The clinical data of 84 patients with stage IV gastric cancer treated in our hospital from September 2014 to March 2016 were collected. All patients were treated with S-1 + oxaliplatin or S-1 + docetaxel chemotherapy, among which 42 patients had surgical indications after chemotherapy and received gastrectomy (R0 resection or R1 resection) (conversion surgery group); the remaining 42 patients had no surgical indications after chemotherapy (simple chemotherapy group). The patients in both groups were followed-up to record the survival status; moreover, the possible influencing factors for the prognosis were analyzed.

RESULTS

In the conversion surgery group, the median chemotherapy cycle was 4.3, and the objective response rate (ORR) was 73.8% (31/42). During chemotherapy in the two groups, there were 22 cases (52.3%) and 24 cases (57.1%) of hematological toxicity, and 28 cases (66.7%) and 32 cases (76.2%) of non-hematological toxicity, mainly in grade I-II, which could be relieved after symptomatic treatment, and chemotherapy was successfully completed. After chemotherapy, 42 out of 84 patients met the surgical indications. All patients were followed-up for 6-36 months. The 3-year overall survival was 35.7% (15/42) and 9.5% (4/42), respectively, in the two groups, and the difference was statistically significant according to the log-rank test (P<0.05). The results of multivariate analysis showed that whether the surgical margin was R0 was an independent influencing factor for the prognosis of patients (HR=8.012, 95% CI: 2.522-14.384, P=0.027).

CONCLUSIONS

Radical surgery after conversion therapy can raise the survival rate of patients, with tolerable adverse reactions. Whether the surgical margin is R0 in conversion therapy it is an independent influencing factor for the prognosis of patients with stage IV gastric cancer.

The Clinical Implication of Conversion Surgery in Patients with Stage IV Gastric Cancer Who Received Systemic Chemotherapy

With the advances in chemotherapy and immunotherapy, a small subset of patients may be eligible for conversion surgery after achieving tumor regression with chemotherapy. This is a retrospective cohort study of 118 patients with stage IV gastric cancer who received palliative chemotherapy and conversion surgery with a negative resection margin at Samsung Medical Center. Baseline features included comorbidities, body mass index (BMI), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level, primary tumor size, biopsy histology, distant metastatic sites, and molecular markers-HER2, MSI/MMR, PD-L1, and EBV. Post-chemotherapy features included BMI, CEA level, chemotherapy regimen, objective response to chemotherapy, and number of preoperative chemotherapy cycles. Post-operational features included tumor size, histologic differentiation and Lauren's classification, pathologic tumor and nodal stages, invasion of lymphatics/vessels/nerves, peritoneal cytology, and the receipt of postoperative chemotherapy. Of 118 patients, 60 patients received total gastrectomy and 58 patients received subtotal gastrectomy. In all, 21 patients achieved a pathologic complete response, and 97 patients achieved downstaging to yp stage I, II, or III. Before conversion surgery, patients received first-line capecitabine/oxaliplatin (62%), HER2 inhibitors combined with chemotherapy (18%), immune checkpoint inhibitors (15%), and inhibitors of MET or VEGFR2 (5%). In the multivariable analysis, BMI at the time of diagnosis, either HER2 positive, high MSI, or deficient MMR, and the use of targeted agents were significant prognostic factors. Conversion surgery could be considered in patients with stage IV gastric cancer regardless of the initial disease burden. BMI and molecular markers are important prognostic factors that can be used to select candidates.

Apatinib combined with SOX regimen for conversion therapy in advanced gastric cancer patients: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Recently, many studies have shown that the progress of conversion therapy can provide surgical opportunities for patients with advanced gastric cancer (GC) and bring survival benefits. However, the results of the current study show that the regimen used in conversion therapy is still controversial. Apatinib, as the standard third-line treatment for GC, has an inconclusive status in conversion therapy.

METHODS

This study retrospectively analyzed GC patients admitted to Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital from June 2016 to November 2019. All patients were pathologically diagnosed, had unresectable factors, and received SOX regimen with or without apatinib as conversion therapy.

RESULTS

A total of 50 patients were enrolled in the study. Altogether 33 patients (66%) received conversion surgery and 17 patients (34%) received conversion therapy without surgery. The median progression-free survival (PFS) between surgery group and non-surgery group were 21.0 versus 4.0 months (p < 0.0001), and the median overall survival (OS) were 29.0 versus 14.0 months (p < 0.0001). In conversion surgery group, 16 patients (16/33) were treated with SOX plus apatinib, and the R0 resection rate was 81.3%; 17 patients (17/33) were treated with SOX regimen along, and the R0 resection rate was 41.2% (p = 0.032). The PFS in the SOX combined with apatinib group was significantly longer than that of SOX group (25.5 versus 16 months, p = 0.045), and the median OS were 34.0 versus 23.0 months (p = 0.048). The addition of apatinib did not increase the incidence of serious adverse reactions throughout the preoperative therapy period.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with advanced inoperable gastric cancer could benefit probably from conversion chemotherapy and subsequence conversion surgery. Apatinib-targeted therapy combined with SOX chemotherapy may be a safe and feasible option for conversion therapy.

Efficacy and Safety of Conversion Therapy by Intraperitoneal and Intravenous Paclitaxel Plus Oral S-1 in Gastric Cancer Patients With Peritoneal Metastasis: A Prospective Phase II Study

Background

Neoadjuvant intraperitoneal and systemic chemotherapy (NIPS) has shown promising results in gastric cancer (GC) with peritoneal metastasis. However, clinical practice experience of NIPS is still lacking in China. In this study, we investigate the efficacy and safety of NIPS in Chinese patients.

Methods

Eligible patients received NIPS every 3 weeks. Gastrectomy was performed for patients who met the criteria of conversion surgery. The primary end point was 1-year overall survival (OS) rate. Secondary end points were the response rate, toxic effects, conversion surgery outcomes and median survival time (MST).

Results

Sixty-seven patients were enrolled. The primary endpoint was achieved with 1-year OS rate reached 67.2% (95% CI, 56.8%-79.4%). Conversion surgery was performed in 42 patients (62.9%), and R0 resection was achieved in 23 patients (54.8%) with the MST of 31.3 months (95% CI, 24.3-38.3). And the MST was 19.3 months (95% CI, 16.4-22.2) for all patients. Toxicity and surgical complications were well-tolerated. Moreover, sex, R0 resection, pathological nodal stage and tumor regression grade (TRG) were independent prognostic factors for patients who underwent conversion surgery.

Conclusion

The NIPS is effective and safe in treating GC patients with peritoneal metastasis. Male patients, patients who underwent R0 resection, patients with ypN0-1 or TRG 1 after conversion surgery are more likely to benefit from the NIPS.

Clinical Trial Registration

http://www.chictr.org.cn/, identifier https://clinicaltrials.gov/ (&lt;ChiCTR2200056029&gt;).

Outcomes of Conversion Surgery for Metastatic Gastric Cancer Compared with In-Front Surgery Plus Palliative Chemotherapy or In-Front Surgery Alone

The survival benefits of conversion surgery in patients with metastatic gastric cancer (mGC) remain unclear. Thus, this study aimed to determine the outcomes of conversion surgery compared to in-front surgery plus palliative chemotherapy (PCT) or in-front surgery alone for mGC. We recruited 182 consecutive patients with mGC who underwent gastrectomy, including conversion surgery, in-front surgery plus PCT, and in-front surgery alone at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital from 2011 to 2019. The tumor was staged according to the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer. Patient demographics and clinicopathological factors were assessed. Overall survival (OS) was evaluated using the Kaplan−Meier curve and compared among groups. Conversion surgery showed a significantly longer median OS than in-front surgery plus PCT or in-front surgery alone (23.4 vs. 13.7 vs. 5.6 months; log rank p < 0.0001). The median OS of patients with downstaging (pathological stage I−III) was longer than that of patients without downstaging (stage IV) (30.9 vs. 18.0 months; p = 0.016). Our study shows that conversion surgery is associated with survival benefits compared to in-front surgery plus PCT or in-front surgery alone in patients with mGC. Patients who underwent conversion surgery with downstaging had a better prognosis than those without downstaging.

A phase III trial of neoadjuvant intraperitoneal and systemic chemotherapy for gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis

Although recent advances in systemic chemotherapy have improved the clinical outcomes of gastric cancer patients with peritoneal metastasis, the peritoneum still represents a common site of treatment failure and disease recurrence. Neoadjuvant intraperitoneal-systemic chemotherapy has been acknowledged as a more aggressive treatment for gastric cancer patients with peritoneal metastasis. In this multicenter phase III randomized controlled trial, 238 patients will be randomly separated into two groups in a 2:1 ratio after laparoscopic exploration. The experimental arm will receive the proposed neoadjuvant intraperitoneal-systemic chemotherapy regimen, whereas the control group will receive a Paclitaxel + S-1 (PS) chemotherapy regimen. The endpoints for the study are overall survival, response rate, gastrectomy radicality rate, progression-free survival and adverse events.

Current therapeutic options for gastric adenocarcinoma

Gastric cancer inflicts significant health issues globally despite its declining incidence. The disease is known to be diagnosed at its advanced stages also corresponding with a poor prognosis for patients. The integral therapeutic choices to cure advanced gastric cancer have progressed swiftly in modern days. The preface of molecularly targeted therapeutic techniques would potentiate the personalized approach depending on patient-specific and tumor-specific features, exasperating the advantages of chemotherapy. Here we have reviewed the modern therapeutics such as immune therapy, chemotherapy, m-RNA based therapeutics, alongside evaluating the influence of age, sex and comorbidities-like factors on the occurrence of gastric cancer. Gastric cancer therapy consolidated target agents comprising inhibitors of programmed death-1(PD-1), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), mRNA, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EPGF). A combination of trastuzumab to platinum-mediated chemotherapy evolved has a typical front-line therapy in advanced gastric cancer. An attempt has been made to epitomize the contemporary-modern research on targeted therapy for advanced gastric cancer.

Survival benefit of conversion surgery after intensive chemotherapy for unresectable metastatic gastric cancer: a propensity score-matching analysis

PURPOSE

The clinical benefit of conversion surgery (CS) for unresectable gastric cancer (GC), whereby unresectable GC responds to chemotherapy and subsequently receives curative-intent surgery, remains unclear. Here, we aimed to clarify the clinical value of CS.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed 175 unresectable GC, who received triple combined chemotherapy between 2004 and 2019. We divided patients into two groups: those who underwent CS and those receiving chemotherapy only (CS and C groups, respectively). Propensity score matching was used to minimize confounding bias.

RESULTS

Of 175 cases, 61 (34.9%) underwent CS. R0 resection was obtained in 85.2%. After matching, 44 pairs were selected; there were no significant differences in baseline covariants. Group CS had a significantly better median overall survival (OS) (18.8 vs. 46.0 months, p < 0.001), and prolonged progression-free survival (7.4 vs. 25.8 months, p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis of OS showed a favorable trend for CS for almost all subgroups. Multivariate analysis revealed that good ECOG performance status and CS were associated with a longer OS.

CONCLUSION

The survival benefit of CS was consistently demonstrated in the univariate and multivariate analysis, even in the matched cohort. Additional large-scale trials are needed for further validation.

Current status of conversion surgery for stage IV gastric cancer

Palliative chemotherapy with best supportive care is a mainstay for patients with gastric cancer (GC) and distant metastasis. However, with advances in GC chemotherapy, multimodal treatment, including perioperative chemotherapy plus conversion surgery, has attracted attention as a new strategy to improve the outcome of patients with stage IV disease. Conversion surgery is defined as surgical treatment aimed at R0 resection after a good response to induction chemotherapy for tumors originally considered unresectable or marginally resectable for technical and/or oncological reasons. Various biological characteristics differ, depending on each metastatic condition in stage IV GC. The main metastatic pathways of GC can be divided into three categories: lymphatic, hematogenous, and peritoneal. In each category, considerable historical data on conversion surgery have demonstrated the benefits of individualized approaches. However, owing to the diversity of these conditions, a common definition, including the choice of induction chemotherapy, optimal timing of resection, and eligibility for conversion surgery, has not been established among surgical oncologists. Thus, we explore the current and future treatment options by reviewing the literature on this controversial topic comprehensively.

Peri-operative Outcomes and Survival Following Palliative Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Many patients with gastric cancer present with late stage disease. Palliative gastrectomy remains a contentious intervention aiming to debulk tumour and prevent or treat complications such as gastric outlet obstruction, perforation and bleeding.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review of the literature for all papers describing palliative resections for gastric cancer and reporting peri-operative or survival outcomes. Data from peri-operative and survival outcomes were meta-analysed using random effects modelling. Survival data from patients undergoing palliative resections, non-resective surgery and palliative chemotherapy were also combined. This study was registered with the PROSPERO database (CRD42019159136).

RESULTS

One hundred and twenty-eight papers which included 58,675 patients contributed data. At 1 year, there was a significantly improved survival in patients who underwent palliative gastrectomy when compared to non-resectional surgery and no treatment. At 2 years following treatment, palliative gastrectomy was associated with significantly improved survival compared to chemotherapy only; however, there was no significant improvement in survival compared to patients who underwent non-resectional surgery after 1 year. Palliative resections were associated with higher rates of overall complications versus non-resectional surgery (OR 2.14; 95% CI, 1.34, 3.46; p < 0.001). However, palliative resections were associated with similar peri-operative mortality rates to non-resectional surgery.

CONCLUSION

Palliative gastrectomy is associated with a small improvement in survival at 1 year when compared to non-resectional surgery and chemotherapy. However, at 2 and 3 years following treatment, survival benefits are less clear. Any survival benefits come at the expense of increased major and overall complications.

Apatinib Combined With SOX Regimen in Conversion Treatment of Advanced Gastric Cancer: A Case Series and Literature Review

Gastric cancer is a common digestive tract tumor and the second most prevalent cancer. The prognosis of advanced gastric cancer is poor. Conversion therapy can reduce tumor burden, downgrade tumor, and increase the possibility of complete resection, thus prolonging the survival time of patients with gastric cancer. In conversion therapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy are the main methods of medical treatment, which can control tumor growth and recurrence. As an antiangiogenic targeted drug, apatinib is widely used in the third-line treatment of advanced gastric cancer. Recent studies have shown that it may be of great help in rapid reduction of tumor stage and improvement of prognosis in conversion therapy. This study reported three cases of gastric cancer complicated with multiple abdominal and retroperitoneal lymph node metastases. After receiving apatinib combined with SOX regimen for four cycles, computed tomography showed that the focus and lymph node metastasis were reduced after treatment, and primary tumors were resected. Postoperative pathology result showed that the patients got R0 resection. After radical surgery, the maintenance therapy including apatinib was given. The progression-free survival time was more than 10 months. Apatinib combined with SOX regimen as a conversion therapy for advanced gastric adenocarcinoma increases the possibility of successful surgical resection, which might prolong the survival time of patients.

Advantages of ypTNM Staging in Post-surgical Prognosis for Initially Unresectable or Stage IV Gastric Cancers

Purpose

For unresectable or initially metastatic gastric cancer, conversion surgery (CVS), after systemic chemotherapy, has received attention as a treatment strategy. This study evaluated the prognostic value of ypTNM stage and the oncologic outcomes in patients receiving CVS.

Materials and Methods

A retrospective review of clinicopathologic findings and oncologic outcomes of 116 patients who underwent CVS with curative intent, after combination chemotherapy, between January 2000 and December 2015, has been reported here.

Results

Twenty-six patients (22.4%) underwent combined resection of another organ and 12 patients received para-aortic lymphadenectomy (10.3%). Pathologic complete remission (CR) was confirmed in 11 cases (9.5%). The median overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) times were 35.0 and 21.3 months, respectively. In multivariate analysis, ypTNM stage was the sole independent prognostic factor for DFS (P=0.042). Tumors invading an adjacent organ or involving distant lymph nodes showed better survival than those with peritoneal seeding or solid organ metastasis (P=0.084). Kaplan-Meier curves showed that the 3-year OS rate of patients with pathologic CR and those with CR of the primary tumor but residual node metastasis was 81.8% and 80.0%, respectively. OS was 65.8% for stage 1 patients, 49.8% for those at stage 2, and 36.3% for those at stage 3.

Conclusions

The ypTNM staging is a significant prognostic factor in patients who underwent CVS for localized unresectable or stage IV gastric cancers. Patients with locally advanced but unresectable lesions or with tumors with distant nodal metastasis may be good candidates for CVS.

Conversion Surgery in Metastatic Gastric Cancer and Cancer Dormancy as a Prognostic Biomarker

The role of conversion surgery in metastatic gastric cancer remains unclear. Cancer dormancy markers might have a role in predicting the survival in patients with conversion surgery. We identified 26 patients who went through conversion surgery, i.e., a curative-intent gastrectomy with metastasectomy after chemotherapy in initially metastatic gastric cancer. As controls, 114 potential candidates for conversion surgery who only received chemotherapy were included for the propensity score matching. Conversion surgery showed a significantly longer overall survival (OS) compared with only palliative chemotherapy (median-43.6 vs. 14.0 months, respectively, p < 0.001). This better survival in the conversion surgery group persisted even after propensity matching (p < 0.001), and also when compared to patients with tumor response over 5.1 months in the chemotherapy only group (p = 0.005). In the conversion surgery group, OS was longer in patients with R0 resection (22/26, 84.6%) than without R0 resection (4/26, 15.4%) (median-not reached vs 22.1 months, respectively, p = 0.005). Although it should be interpreted with caution due to the primitive analysis in a small population, the positive expression of NR2F1 showed a longer duration of disease-free survival (DFS) after conversion surgery (p = 0.016). In conclusion, conversion surgery showed a durable OS even in patients with initially metastatic gastric cancer when R0 resection was achieved after chemotherapy.

Issues on peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer: an update

Background

Peritoneal metastasis (PM) is one of the most common forms of metastasis with a very poor prognosis in patients with gastric cancer (GC). The mechanisms, diagnosis, and management of PM remain controversial.

Main body

Stephen Paget’s “seed-and-soil” hypothesis gives us an illustration of the mechanisms of PM. Recently, hematogenous metastasis and exosomes from GC are identified as novel mechanisms for PM. Diagnostic accuracy of conventional imaging modalities for PM is not satisfactory, but texture analysis may be a useful adjunct for the prediction of PM. Biological markers in peritoneal washings are helpful in identifying patients at high risk of PM, but many limitations remain to be overcome. Response of PM from systemic chemotherapy alone is very limited. However, conversion therapy is confirmed to be safe and able to prolong the survival of GC patients with PM. As an important part of conversion therapy, intraperitoneal chemotherapy with taxanes has become an ideal approach with several advantages. Additionally, gastrectomy should be considered in patients who would tolerate surgery if a remarkable response to chemotherapy was observed.

Conclusion

Texture analysis is a reliable adjunct for the prediction of PM, and conversion therapy provides a new choice for GC patients with PM. The underlying mechanisms and new biological markers for GC patients with PM should be the direction of future studies. Furthermore, significant aspects of conversion therapy, such as timing and method of the operation, and the indications remain to be clarified.

Conversion Surgery for Stage IV Gastric Cancer

The prognosis of stage IV gastric cancer (GC) is poor, with palliative chemotherapy remaining the main therapeutic option. Studies increasingly indicate that patients with unresectable stage IV GC, who undergo gastrectomy with radical intention after responding to several regimens of combined chemotherapy, can achieve good survival outcomes. Thus, surgery aiming at radical resection for unresectable stage IV GC after combined chemotherapy has received increasing attention in recent years. This novel therapeutic strategy was defined as conversion surgery in patients with unresectable stage IV GC and it can associate with significant improved survival when R0 resection can be achieved. Despite the recent advances in conversion surgery for patients with unresectable stage IV GC, selection criteria for combination chemotherapy regimens, indications for conversion surgery, optimal timing to surgery, and postoperative chemotherapy all remain controversial. This article reviews the current state of conversion surgery for unresectable stage IV GC.

Pathological complete response from oral chemotherapy combined with trans-arterial chemotherapy and embolization in an unresectable gastric cancer patient: A case report

RATIONALE

Gastric cancer is still one of the most common cancer in East Asia. More than 70% gastric cancer patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage in China. Moreover, about 10% cases are unresectable which usually suffer a poor prognosis with a median survival time of 5 to 12 months. In recent years, some clinical studies found that many unresectable gastric cancer cases could get opportunity for surgery after treatment that improve prognosis significantly PATIENT CONCERNS:: 64-year-old male patient was admitted with upper abdominal pain. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed a large ulcerated tumor located from the cardia to the anterior wall of the upper gastric body. Histopathological examination showed it was moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. Computed tomography (CT) scan image showed a large bulging mass with internal ulcer at the lesser curvature wall, left gastric artery and coeliac trunk were surrounded by fused lymph nodes.

DIAGNOSES

Based on the histopathological examination and imaging findings, patient was diagnosed advanced gastric cancer and hardly to resect radically.

INTERVENTION

Oral chemotherapy combined with trans-arterial chemotherapy and embolization (TACE) was initiated. Eight weeks after initial therapy, radical laparoscopy-assisted total gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection and Roux-en-Y anastomosis were performed successfully.

OUTCOMES

Patient was discharged on postoperative day 11 without complications. Histological analysis of the specimen and resected 31 lymph nodes revealed no malignancy. The patient experienced a pathological complete response (pCR).

LESSONS

In this case, oral chemotherapy combined with TACE which was rarely reported in the treatment of unresectable gastric cancer achieves a great therapeutic benefit. Although further clinical studies will be needed to establish, it may be a potent strategy for degrading stage and supplying a new chance for surgery.

The long-term prognostic difference between gastrectomy with and without preoperative chemotherapy in patients with clinical stage IV gastric cancer

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE

The role of gastrectomy for stage IV gastric cancer (GC) has not yet been established. Thus, we aimed to compare the prognoses of patients with clinical stage IV GC who underwent gastrectomy with and without preoperative chemotherapy after precise recategorization of patients.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed a total of 92 clinical stage IV GC patients who underwent gastrectomy with or without preoperative chemotherapy between 2010 and 2016 at a single institution. Yoshida's classification was used to categorize the patients into the following categories: 1, technically resectable metastasis; 2, marginally resectable metastasis; 3, unresectable peritoneal dissemination; and 4, incurable peritoneal dissemination with distant organ metastasis. Two-year disease-specific survival (DSS) rates were compared between patients who underwent primary surgery and preoperative chemotherapy for each category.

RESULTS

The two-year DSS rates of primary surgery vs. preoperative chemotherapy in Categories 1, 2, 3, and 4 (n = 35, 39, 14, and 4, respectively) were 48.6% vs. 41.7% (p = 0.829), 52.6% vs. 40.0% (p = 0.855), 50.0% vs. 75.0% (p = 0.027), and 0% vs. 66.7% (p = 0.083), respectively. Patients in Categories 1 and 2 who underwent preoperative chemotherapy tended to have lower two-year DSS rates (p = 0.911), whereas patients in Categories 3 and 4 had significantly higher two-year DSS rates than those who underwent primary surgery (p = 0.014).

CONCLUSIONS

Primary surgery may be performed in patients without peritoneal dissemination when GC is technically resectable. However, if peritoneal dissemination is suspected, chemotherapy should be prioritized.

Risk-stratification model to select conversion surgery for advanced gastric cancer patients

Objective

Conversion surgery is a surgery with a purpose of R0 resection in primary advanced gastric cancer (GC) that responded well to systemic chemotherapy. This study aimed to explore the efficacy of conversion surgery for advanced GC.

Methods

A total of 618 advanced GC patients receiving systemic chemotherapy were stratified into low-, moderate- and high-risk groups based on a nomogram-predicted probability of overall survival. The survival of conversion surgery and chemotherapy alone groups was compared using the log-rank test and Cox regression analysis after propensity score matching (PSM).

Results

A nomogram with good discrimination (concordance index: 0.65) and accurate calibration was constructed. After PSM, the median survival time (MST) of conversion surgery was 26.80 months, compared with 16.60 months of chemotherapy alone (P<0.001). Conversion surgery was associated with a longer MST for patients in the low-risk group (30.40 monthsvs. 20.90 months, P=0.013), whereas it was not associated with prolonged survival in the moderate- and high-risk groups (P=0.221 and P=0.131, respectively).

Conclusions

Conversion surgery was associated with longer survival, especially for low-risk population.

Radical Gastrectomy After Chemotherapy May Prolong Survival in Stage IV Gastric Cancer: A Korean Multi-institutional Analysis

ABASTRACT

BACKGROUND: Despite the development of newer treatments, the prognosis for patients with stage IV gastric cancer remains grave. This study evaluated the efficacy of gastrectomy following response to chemotherapy in patients with stage IV gastric cancer.

METHODS

A total of 419 patients who were diagnosed with stage IV gastric cancer were identified from the multi-institutional Catholic Gastric Cancer Study Group database. The patients were divided into four groups: 212 were in the chemotherapy only (CTx) group, 124 were in the chemotherapy after palliative gastrectomy (G-CTx) group, 23 were in the radical gastrectomy after chemotherapy (CTx-G) group, and 60 were in the best supportive care group. To compensate for the effects of chemotherapy, cases of chemotherapy responsive were analyzed separately. To identify factors affecting survival rates, cure rates for surgery in the surgery group were analyzed.

RESULTS

The 3-year survival rate of the CTx-G group was significantly higher than that of the CTx group (42.8 vs. 12.0%, p = 0.001). Moreover, the CTx-G group's 3-year survival rate was greater than that of the G-CTx group (42.8 vs. 37.1%, p = 0.207). Chemotherapy-responsive patients in the CTx-G group had a better 3-year survival rate than those in the G-CTx group (46.1 vs. 18.4%, respectively, p = 0.011). In the surgery group, R0 resection led to a significantly better 3-year survival rate than palliative gastrectomy (61.1 vs. 16.2%, p = 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

Adjuvant surgery might improve the survival rate of patients with stage IV gastric cancer, particularly in R0 resection cases.

Conversion surgery for gastric cancer patients: A review

Gastric cancer (GC) is the third most common cancer-related cause of death worldwide. In locally advanced tumors, neoadjuvant chemotherapy has recently been introduced in most international Western guidelines. For metastatic and unresectable disease, there is still debate regarding correct management and the role of surgery. The standard approach for stage IV GC is palliative chemotherapy. Over the last decade, an increasing number of M1 patients who responded to palliative regimens of induction chemotherapy have been subsequently undergone surgery with curative intent. The objective of the present review is to analyze the literature regarding this approach, known as “conversion surgery”, which has become one of the most commonly adopted therapeutic options. It is defined as a treatment aiming at an R0 resection after chemotherapy in initially unresectable tumors. The 13 retrospective studies analyzed, with a total of 411 patients treated with conversion therapy, clearly show that even if standardization of unresectable and metastatic criteria, post-chemotherapy resectability evaluation and timing of surgery has not yet been established, an R0 surgery after induction chemotherapy with partial or complete response seems to offer superior survival results than chemotherapy alone. Additional larger sample-size randomized control trials are needed to identify subgroups of well-stratified patients who could benefit from this multimodal approach.

Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy as Treatment Options for Peritoneal Metastasis of Advanced Gastric Cancer

Purpose

This study aimed to examine the outcomes of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in patients with peritoneal metastasis (PM) of advanced gastric cancer (AGC).

Materials and Methods

Between May 2015 and June 2017, 38 CRS and HIPEC procedures were performed in patients with PM of AGC at the Dankook University Hospital. We prospectively collected and analyzed data regarding PM grade, morbidity and mortality rates, and short-term follow-up results (median, 13.5 months).

Results

The mean peritoneal cancer index was 15 (range, 0-39). Complete cytoreduction was achieved in 21 patients (55.2%), whereas complications occurred in 16 (42.1%) and 2 (5.7%) patients died. The overall median patient survival time was 19 months. The patients who underwent complete cytoreduction had a median survival time of 26 months, which was significantly longer than the median survival time of 16 months in the patients who did not undergo complete cytoreduction (P=0.006).

Conclusions

CRS with HIPEC may have a beneficial effect in patients with PM of AGC. However, the rates of complications and mortality associated with this combined therapeutic approach are high. Therefore, this treatment should be performed only in selected patients by surgeons experienced in the field of gastric cancer with PM.

Tailored treatment for signet ring cell gastric cancer

Gastric cancer with Laurèn diffuse types is increasing in the West. The raising trend is more evident when considering signet ring cells (SRC) histology. However, to control the biologic potential of this GC subtype, some hypotheses of tailored therapeutic strategies for SRC cancers have been made. A review of the literature was performed using the key words "signet ring cells" AND "gastric cancer". Results of literature review were descriptively reported. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), according to the Japanese extended criteria, could be a therapeutic option for early SRC tumours. However, according to the evidences from more recent studies, indications for ESD to these tumours types should be carefully considered. Concerning the optimal surgical treatment, considering the high lymphotropism and infiltrating behaviour of SRC histotype, the extension of gastric resection should be wider than for intestinal type cancer and laparoscopic surgery should be performed carefully. Moreover, D3 lymphadenectomy could provide a benefit in diffuse-type and SRC histology. The role of surgery in gastric cancer with peritoneal carcinomatosis is still debated and studies on this topic should stratify the good results according to GC histotype. Finally, despite the evidences of chemoresistance in SRC, ongoing randomized trials suggest that multimodal therapy could be the best treatment. Based on the assumption that SRC tumours have specific features, they deserve a specific multimodal treatment. However, a preliminary step to generate strong evidences in this field is the standardization of terminology used to define signet ring cells carcinoma.

Preoperative tumor restaging and resectability assessment of gastric cancers after chemotherapy: diagnostic accuracy of MDCT using new staging criteria

PURPOSE

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of preoperative MDCT for tumor restaging and determination of resectability in gastric cancers after chemotherapy using new staging criteria.

METHODS

This retrospective study was approved by our institutional review board and the requirement for informed consent was waived. Thirty-seven patients with initially unresectable gastric cancers who had received chemotherapy followed by surgery were included. Two independent radiologists reviewed preoperative MDCT images to determine the TNM staging and rate the overall likelihood of resectability using a 5-point scale (5: definitely unresectable, 1: definitely resectable). New post-chemotherapy MDCT criteria do not use non-enhancing perigastric infiltrations, non-enhancing lymph nodes (LNs), and subtle remaining infiltrations after marked decrease in the size of distant metastases for T, N, and M upstaging, respectively. Discrepancies in TNM staging were resolved by a third reviewer. The diagnostic performances of MDCT were assessed using pathologic results or operation records as reference standards.

RESULTS

For predicting resectability, the areas under the ROC curve were 0.885 and 0.882 (95% CIs 0.737-0.966 and 0.733-0.964) in reviewers 1 and 2, respectively, with substantial inter-reader agreement (weighted κ = 0.689). Sensitivities and specificities of MDCT for tumor restaging on a consensus review were 80.0% (4/5) and 100% (29/29) for T4b, 35.3% (6/17) and 81.3% (13/16) for N-positive, and 63.6% (7/11) and 100% (26/26) for M1, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

For gastric cancers after chemotherapy, new MDCT criteria demonstrated high specificities for T4b and M-staging and good performances to predict resectability before conversion surgery.

Successful conversion surgery for unresectable pancreatic cancer with peritoneal metastases after neoadjuvant albumin-bound paclitaxel and gemcitabine chemotherapy: case report and literature review

We report a case in which combination therapy with albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel) and gemcitabine converted unresectable pancreatic cancer with peritoneal metastases into resectable disease. The patient was a 71-year-old woman with anorexia. Enhanced abdominal computed tomography (CT) showed an atrophic pancreatic body and tail, dilated main pancreatic duct, peritoneal dissemination, portal vein stricture, bile duct stricture and wall thickening, and blockage of the right ureter. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer with peritoneal metastases. Curative resection was initially impossible. Combination therapy consisting of nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine was initiated. The regimen consisted of 28-day cycles of albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel) (125 mg/m² intravenously over 30 min on days 1, 8, 15) and gemcitabine (1000 mg/m² intravenously over 30 min on days 1, 8, 15). After 8 cycles of chemotherapy, enhanced CT showed no evidence of the tumor in the pancreatic body and tail or peritoneal metastases. Positron emission tomography with CT (PET-CT) showed no abnormal fluorodeoxyglucose uptake. After pre-operative chemotherapy for 8 months, the patient was underwent distal pancreatectomy with resection of soft tissue that corresponded to the right ureteral tumor seen on enhanced CT. This case showed that chemotherapy consisting of nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine can be well-tolerated and can convert unresectable pancreatic cancer with peritoneal metastases into resectable disease.

Will molecular target agents enable the multidisciplinary treatment in stage IV gastric cancer?

A detailed molecular characterization of gastric cancer has been revealed by global initiatives and a number of new molecular agents are under investigation. Currently only trastuzumab, a monoclonal antibody for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), is clinically used for HER2 positive advanced gastric cancer patients and ramucirumab, a monoclonal antibody directed against the extracellular ligand-binding domain of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)2, can be used in second line. However, despite the progress in gastric cancer treatment, the prognosis of stage IV gastric cancer patients remains dismal. To achieve a remarkable improvement in the prognosis of patients, a multidisciplinary treatment approach with the help of effective molecular target agents should be considered. So far the role of multidisciplinary treatment for stage IV gastric cancer is still uncertain due to limited available data and absence of long-lasting tumor control with systemic therapy. Herein, an overview of the latest developments of molecular targeted agents for gastric cancer in advanced stages, in the perioperative setting and in oligometastatic disease is provided. The possibility of a multidisciplinary strategy using molecular target agents and surgery for stage IV gastric cancer is also assessed.

Selective Gastric Cancer Patients with Peritoneal Seeding Benefit from Gastrectomy after Palliative Chemotherapy: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

Background: The present study aimed to explore whether gastric cancer patients with peritoneal seeding after receiving palliative chemotherapy could benefit from gastrectomy and to identify patients with peritoneal seeding who should be selected to receive gastrectomy.

Methods: A total of 201 gastric cancer patients were diagnosed with peritoneal seeding and received palliative chemotherapy. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to balance the selection bias.

Results: After PSM, compared with non-gastrectomy group, gastrectomy group had a longer median overall survival (OS) (23.60 vs. 13.80 moths; P=0.034). Patients with R0 resection had a median OS of 43.60 months compared with 11.27 months in patients who underwent R1/2 resection (P<0.001). The median OS times between the R1/2 resection and non-gastrectomy groups were not different (P=0.139). Subgroup analysis revealed that only patients receiving more than 4 periods of first-line chemotherapy benefited from gastrectomy (P=0.018), whereas patients receiving 1-4 periods of first-line chemotherapy did not (P=0.275). Multivariate analysis showed that gastrectomy (P=0.012) and the period of first-line chemotherapy (P<0.001) were independent prognostic factors. The overall postoperative morbidity was 3.03% (1/33) in the gastrectomy group, and no treatment-related death was observed.

Conclusions: The present study indicated that gastrectomy after palliative chemotherapy is a safe procedure and showed a survival benefit for gastric cancer patients with peritoneal seeding. Moreover, clinically curative R0 gastrectomy and more than 4 periods of palliative chemotherapy resulted in better clinical outcomes.

Histological complete response in a patient with advanced biliary tract cancer treated by gemcitabine/cisplatin/S-1 combination chemotherapy: A case report

A 68-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with increased levels of biliary enzymes. On imaging, the patient was diagnosed with unresectable intrahepatic biliary tract cancer (BTC) with invasion of the portal vein and para-aortic lymph node metastasis (cT3N1M1, cStage IVb) and underwent endoscopic biliary drainage for the biliary stricture prior to therapy. The patient was subsequently enrolled in a phase III randomized trial (UMIN000014371/NCT02182778) and randomly assigned to receive gemcitabine/cisplatin/S-1 (GCS) combination therapy intravenously at doses of 1,000 or 25 mg/m² on day 1 and orally twice daily at a dose of 80 mg/m² on days 1–7 every 2 weeks. After 12 cycles of scheduled therapy without uncontrollable adverse effects, the patient achieved a good partial response with chemotherapy. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a marked reduction of the primary and metastatic lesions. In addition,¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/CT revealed diminishing abnormal uptake and no macroscopic evidence of factors adversely affecting tumor resectability. Therefore, the patient underwent extended right hepatic lobectomy, lymph node dissection and left hepaticojejunostomy. Finally, histological examination of the resected tissues revealed no residual cancer cells, suggesting a pathologically complete response. We herein present the case of a patient with intrahepatic BTC who achieved a pathologically complete response following combination chemotherapy with GCS.

Survival benefit of gastrectomy for gastric cancer with peritoneal carcinomatosis: a propensity score-matched analysis

Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) is the most frequent pattern of metastasis in stage IV gastric cancer (GC). The study aims to investigate the efficacy of gastrectomy in GC with PC. Clinicopathological data of 518 stage IV GC patients were retrospectively collected in Nanfang Hospital. Among all cases, 312 GC patients with PC (without other site of metastasis) were eligible. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the independent prognostic factors. Propensity score matching analysis was performed to balance the characteristics and treatment‐related factors. There was a significantly improved overall survival in gastrectomy group (148 patients) compared with nonresection group (164 patients) (P < 0.001). The 1‐year and 2‐year survival rates were 49.8% and 21.5% in gastrectomy group, whereas 28.8% and 9.7% in nonresection group, respectively. Further analysis showed that gastrectomy had also improved survival in P1 (P = 0.017) and P2 stage patients (P < 0.001), but not P3 stage (P = 0.495). The modality of gastrectomy plus chemotherapy plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) showed an optimum survival. In addition, P3 disease, nongastrectomy, nonchemotherapy, non‐HIPEC, and age ≥ 60 years were independently associated with poor survival. The gastrectomy plus chemotherapy plus HIPEC modality showed a significant survival benefit for gastric adenocarcinoma patients, particularly in those with P1 and P2 diseases.

Usefulness of diagnostic laparoscopy with 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-mediated photodynamic diagnosis for the detection of peritoneal micrometastasis in advanced gastric cancer after chemotherapy

PURPOSE

Successful cases have shown that conversion surgery after chemotherapy improves the prognosis of advanced gastric cancer. However, it is necessary to carefully select patients who have no unresectable factors prior to surgery. We recently reported that diagnostic laparoscopy with photodynamic diagnosis using oral 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA-PDD) is a promising tool for diagnosing early peritoneal metastasis in gastric cancer. We herein evaluated the usefulness of this technique for detecting peritoneal metastases of advanced gastric cancer after chemotherapy.

METHODS

Diagnostic laparoscopy using sequential white light (WL) and ALA-PDD observations was performed in 38 patients with advanced gastric cancer after chemotherapy. The sensitivity of ALA-PDD for detecting peritoneal disease was compared with that of WL. The relationship between the state of peritoneal metastasis assessed by ALA-PDD and a cytological examination of the peritoneal fluid was evaluated.

RESULTS

Twelve of the 38 patients (32 %) were diagnosed with peritoneal metastases by conventional laparoscopy. However, laparoscopy with ALA-PDD detected peritoneal metastases in 4 (11 %) of the 26 remaining patients. Three of these 4 patients had negative cytological results from the evaluation of the peritoneal fluid.

CONCLUSIONS

Diagnostic laparoscopy using ALA-PDD is a useful technique for detecting metastases and determining treatment strategies to select patients with advanced gastric cancer who have received chemotherapy.

Conversion therapy for unresectable gastric cancer

Unresectable gastric cancer cases are often diagnosed at a far advanced stage, which are hard to resect radically and suffer a poor prognosis. Therefore, palliative chemotherapy is recommended as the main treatment by the current clinical guidelines for gastric cancer. Fortunately, in recent years some clinical studies revealed that after treatment with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, interventional therapy, hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) and so on, and multidisciplinary assessment, many unresectable gastric cancer cases could be converted into resectable cases, which consequently prolongs their survival time and improves their quality of life significantly. In the present review, we summarize the status and progress of treatment for unresectable gastric cancer, as well as the strategy and case selection for conversion therapy.

The Value of Palliative Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer Patients With Intraoperatively Proven Peritoneal Seeding

The aim of this study was to evaluate the survival benefit of palliative gastrectomy for gastric cancer patients with peritoneal seeding proven intraoperatively and to identify positive predictive factors for improving survival.The value of palliative resection for gastric cancer patients with peritoneal metastasis is controversial.From 2006 to 2013, 267 gastric cancer patients with intraoperatively identified peritoneal dissemination were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into resection group and nonresection group according to whether a palliative gastrectomy was performed. Clinicopathologic variables and survival were compared. Subgroup analyses stratified by clinicopathologic factors and multivariable analysis for overall survival were also performed.There were 114 patients in the resection group and 153 in nonresection group. The morbidities in the resection and nonresection groups were 14.91% and 5.88%, respectively (P = 0.014). There, however, was no difference in mortality between the 2 groups. The median survival time of patients in the resection group was longer than in nonresection group (14.00 versus 8.57 months, P = 0.000). The median survivals among the patients with different classifications of peritoneal metastasis were statistically significant (P = 0.000). Patients undergoing resection followed by chemotherapy had a significantly longer median survival, compared with that of patients who had chemotherapy alone, those who had resection alone, or those who had not received chemotherapy or resection (P = 0.000). Results of subgroup analyses showed that except for P3 patients and patients with multisite distant metastases, overall survival was significantly better in patients with palliative gastrectomy, compared with the nonresection group. In multivariate analysis, P3 disease (P = 0.000), absence of resection (P = 0.000), and lack of chemotherapy (P = 0.000) were identified as independently associated with poor survival.Palliative gastrectomy might be beneficial to the survival of gastric cancer patients with intraoperatively proven P1/P2 alone, rather than P3. Postoperative palliative chemotherapy could improve survival regardless of operation and should be recommended.