Prognostic factors in patients with advanced gastric cancer treated by noncurative resection: A multivariate analysis

Background/Aims: The relationship between prognostic factors and survival t ime after noncurative gastric resection in patients with advanced gastric c ancer was examined by a retrospective review of data on 364 patients. Methodology: There were 168 patients without metastasis to the liver or per itoneum (group A), 127 with peritoneal metastasis and no liver metastasis ( group B), 50 with liver metastasis and no peritoneal metastasis (group C) a nd 19 with synchronous liver and peritoneal metastases (group D). Patients were primarily treated with the following 3 drugs: the fluorinated pyrimidi nes, cisplatin, and mitomycin C. Results: Patients in group D had a very poor prognosis as compared with the other groups. Multivariate analysis using the Cox's proportional hazard mo del adjusted for sex, age, and other covariants indicated that lymph node m etastasis, lymph node dissection, and fluorinated pyrimidines for group A, cisplatin for group B, and lymph node dissection for group C were independe nt prognostic factors. An analysis of patients excluding cases who died wit hin 30 days after surgery revealed that lymph node dissection for group A, lymph node dissection and cisplatin for group B, and lymph node dissection for group C were independent prognostic factors. Conclusions: Treatment protocol specific for the residual disease may impro ve the survival of patients with advanced gastric cancer treated by noncura tive resection.