Results of combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy in non-metastatic gastric cancer in Yazd - Iran

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer is the first cause of cancer death in Iran. Most of the patients are diagnosed in advanced stages and survival rate is low. The aim of this study was to evaluate the survival rate of patients with gastric and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma receiving combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy in Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted on 53 patients with gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma referring to Shahid Ramezanzadeh Radiation Oncology Center between 2004 and 2010. All patients underwent surgical operation, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Data contained in patients' records were extracted and follow-up was conducted through telephone contacts. To analyze the data, Kaplan Meier curves, and SPSS software were employed. RESULTS: Seventeen (32.1) patients were female and 36 (67.9) were male. Mean age was 58.32 years. In 14 patients (26.9) no lymph node was resected or reported by the pathologist. In 29 patients (54.7) one to six lymph nodes were found, and in 10 patients (18.9) seven lymph nodes or more were detected. In two patients, (3.77) more than 15 lymph nodes were resected. Surgical staging was impossible for 16 patients (30.2). Mean survival was 50.9 months and median survival was 51 months. 3,5 and 7 year survival rates were 73, 36, and 18 respectively. None of the variables had a significant relation to survival. CONCLUSIONS: Despite inadequate surgery, the survival rate in our study is one of the best one reported in our country. We think this advantage may be due to poly drug chemotherapy and sequential radiation therapy.