PREOPERATIVE SUPERSELECTIVE INTRAARTERIAL CHEMOTHERAPY IN THE COMBINED TREATMENT OF GASTRIC-CARCINOMA

146 patients were included in this prospective, randomized study: 50 p atients were treated with surgery alone (S), 49 patients received pre- operative intravenous (systemic) chemotherapy (IVCH) and 47 patients r eceived pre-operative superselective intra-arterial chemotherapy (IACH ). Left gastric and right gastroepiploic arteries were catheterized fo r IACH. After IACH a measurable tumor response was registered in 87.1% of the patients; in 61.6% no residual tumor was found in the resected stomach. IVCH produced no survival benefit compared to surgery alone. IACH plus S improved 3-year survival relative to surgery alone (89.3/-2.1% vs 35.5+/-4.9%; p<0.01). Projected 5-year survival in the IACHS group is 78.1% vs. 30.1% with surgery alone (p<0.01). IACH provided substantial survival benefit when used as a component of combined moda lity gastric cancer treatment.