Survival Impact of Postoperative Skeletal Muscle Loss in Gastric Cancer Patients Who Underwent Gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND/AIM: It has recently been recognized that preoperative sarcopenia contributes to postoperative complications and overall survival in gastric cancer (GC). However, few studies have investigated the relationship between postoperative skeletal muscle loss (SML) and survival in GC, despite the inevitability of body weight loss after gastrectomy in most GC patients. Herein, we studied the impact of postoperative SML on GC prognosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 370 patients with GC who underwent curative gastrectomy were retrospectively evaluated in this study. Postoperative SML was assessed on computed tomography (CT) images taken before surgery and 1 year after surgery. The impact of postoperative SML on survival was evaluated. RESULTS: Postoperative severe SML was significantly associated with presence of comorbidities, higher tumor stage, higher postoperative complication rate and longer hospital stay. Univariate and multivariate analyses of prognostic factors for overall survival revealed that SML was an independent indicator of poor prognosis, along with age, tumor stage, preoperative sarcopenia, and operation time (hazard ratio, 2.65; 95% confidence interval, 1.68-4.20, p<0.0001). There was a strong association of severe postoperative SML with decreased overall survival in patients with preoperative sarcopenia. CONCLUSION: To improve the prognosis of GC patients after surgery, it is important to prevent postoperative SML as well as preoperative sarcopenia. Perioperative multimodal interventions including nutritional counseling, oral nutritional supplements, and exercise are required to prevent SML after gastrectomy.

[A Case of Advanced Adenocarcinoma at the Esophagogastric Junction That Exhibited pCR by Preoperative SOX Therapy].

Although neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC)is an effective treatment option for advanced adenocarcinoma at the esophagogastric junction (AEG), there is no sufficient evidence of this in Japan. We report a case of advanced AEG with pathological complete response(pCR)after NAC with S-1 and oxaliplatin(SOX). A 39-year-old man was diagnosed with advanced AEG cT3(SS)N0M0, cStage ⅡB. A total of 3 courses of SOX was administered. After the chemotherapy, the primary tumor showed a significant reduction in size. Subsequently, laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy, D1+ lymphadenectomy and double-flap technique reconstruction were performed. Histopathological examinations showed no residual cancer cells in the resected specimen. Thus, preoperative SOX therapy can be one of the useful treatment strategies for advanced AEG.

Accreditation as a qualified surgeon improves surgical outcomes in laparoscopic distal gastrectomy.

PURPOSE: The Endoscopic Surgical Skill Quantification System for qualified surgeons (QSs) was introduced in Japan to improve surgical outcomes. This study reviewed the surgical outcomes after initial experience performing laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG) and evaluated the improvement in surgical outcomes following accreditation as a QS. METHODS: Eighty-seven consecutive patients who underwent LDG for gastric cancer by a single surgeon were enrolled in this study. The cumulative sum method was used to analyze the learning curve for LDG. The surgical outcomes were evaluated according to the two phases of the learning curve (learning period vs. mastery period) and accreditation (non-QS period vs. QS period). RESULTS: The learning period for LDG was 48 cases. Accreditation was approved at the 67th case. The operation time and estimated blood loss were significantly reduced in the QS period compared to the non-QS period (230 vs. 270 min, p < 0.001; 20.5 vs. 59.8 ml, p = 0.024, respectively). Furthermore, the major complication rate was significantly lower in the QS period than in the non-QS period (0 vs. 10.6%, p = 0.044). CONCLUSIONS: Experience performing approximately 50 cases is required to reach proficiency in LDG. After receiving accreditation as a QS, the surgical outcomes, including the complication rate, were improved.

Efficacy and safety of short-term (3 days) enoxaparin in preventing venous thromboembolism after gastric cancer surgery: A single-center, prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacologic prophylaxis such as enoxaparin for venous thromboembolism (VTE) is rarely used in Japan, even following abdominal cancer surgery, for which it is recommended in relevant guidelines (at least 7 days of use) along with mechanical prophylaxis with intermittent pneumatic compression. Reasons for enoxaparin's unpopularity include concerns over postoperative bleeding and its inconvenience in clinical practice. Here, we conducted a prospective clinical study of short-term (3 days) use of enoxaparin, which is considered to minimally impact postoperative management without increasing bleeding risk. METHODS: Gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy received enoxaparin for 3 days from postoperative day (POD) 1-4. The primary endpoint was the incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which was examined primarily via Doppler ultrasonography of the lower limbs between POD 8 and 14. The planned sample size was 70, which was calculated based on an estimated incidence rate of 9% and an upper limit of incidence rate of 20%, with alpha of 0.05 and beta of 0.2. RESULTS: A total of 70 gastric cancer patients were enrolled, and ultimately, 68 patients received the protocol intervention and DVT evaluation. Sixty-seven patients completed 6 enoxaparin injections, but 1 patient did not complete the course due to abdominal bleeding after initiation. The incidence of DVT was 4.4% (3/68), and the 95% upper confidence interval was 12.2%, lower than the 20% threshold we set as the upper limit of DVT incidence. DVT was detected only in the peripheral veins of the lower extremities in all 3 affected patients. The incidence of bleeding-related complications, which were not severe, was 1.5% (1/68). CONCLUSIONS: Short-term (3 days) use of enoxaparin was shown to be effective and safe for VTE prophylaxis, comparable to regular use (at least 7 days), in postoperative management of gastric cancer surgery.

Extracellular vesicles shed from gastric cancer mediate protumor macrophage differentiation.

BACKGROUND: Peritoneal dissemination often develops in gastric cancer. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are present in the peritoneal cavity of gastric cancer patients with peritoneal dissemination, facilitating tumor progression. However, the mechanism by which macrophages differentiate into tumor-associated macrophages in the peritoneal cavity is not well understood. In this study, the interplay between gastric cancer-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) and macrophages was investigated. METHODS: The association between macrophages and EVs in peritoneal ascitic fluid of gastric cancer patients, or from gastric cancer cell lines was examined, and their roles in differentiation of macrophages and potentiation of the malignancy of gastric cancer were further explored. RESULTS: Immunofluorescent assays of the ascitic fluid showed that M2 macrophages were predominant along with the cancer cells in the peritoneal cavity. EVs purified from gastric cancer cells, as well as malignant ascitic fluid, differentiated peripheral blood mononuclear cell-derived macrophages into the M2-like phenotype, which was demonstrated by their morphology and expression of CD163/206. The macrophages differentiated by gastric cancer-derived EVs promoted the migration ability of gastric cancer cells, and the EVs carried STAT3 protein. CONCLUSION: EVs derived from gastric cancer play a role by affecting macrophage phenotypes, suggesting that this may be a part of the underlying mechanism that forms the intraperitoneal cancer microenvironment.

Intracorporeal semi-hand-sewn Billroth I reconstruction in total laparoscopic distal gastrectomy.

INTRODUCTION: Intracorporeal Billroth I (B-I) reconstruction using an endoscopic linear stapler (ELS) is widely performed in total laparoscopic distal gastrectomy. However, conventional procedures require many ELSs for anastomosis. Here, we introduce the novel intracorporeal semi-hand-sewn (SHS) B-I reconstruction. MATERIALS AND SURGICAL TECHNIQUE: After the transection of stomach and duodenum using ELS following adequate lymph node dissection, small entry holes were made on the anterior wall in the greater curvature of the stomach and the duodenal stump. The posterior walls of both the remnant stomach and the duodenum were attached with the ELS and fired to create the posterior wall of the B-I anastomosis. All the transection line of the duodenum and one-third of the transection line of the stomach were dissected; finally the anterior wall suturing at the anastomotic site was performed by the laparoscopic hand-sewn technique. DISCUSSION: SHS procedure was performed for 17 gastric cancer patients. There were no intraoperative complications or conversions to open surgery. One intra-abdominal abscess was observed although there was no anastomotic leakage. The median reconstruction time was 48 minutes (32-63). The SHS procedure was safe, feasible, and economical, although it requires sufficient laparoscopic suturing and ligation skill.

Short-term and long-term comparisons of laparoscopy-assisted proximal gastrectomy with esophagogastrostomy by the double-flap technique and laparoscopy-assisted total gastrectomy for proximal gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Although proximal gastrectomy (PG) is a recognized surgical procedure for early proximal gastric cancer, total gastrectomy (TG) is sometimes selected due to concern about severe gastroesophageal reflux. Esophagogastrostomy by the double-flap technique (DFT) is an anti-reflux reconstruction after PG, and its short-term effectiveness has been reported. However, little is known about the long-term effects on nutritional status and quality of life (QOL). METHODS: Gastric cancer patients who underwent laparoscopy-assisted PG (LAPG) with DFT or laparoscopy-assisted TG (LATG) between April 2011 and March 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Body weight (BW), body mass index (BMI), and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) were reviewed to assess nutritional status, and the Postgastrectomy Syndrome Assessment Scale (PGSAS)-45 was used to assess QOL. RESULTS: A total of 36 patients (LATG: 17, LAPG: 19) were enrolled. Four of 17 LATG patients (24%) were diagnosed with Stage ≥II after surgery, and half received S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy. BW and PNI were better maintained in LAPG than in LATG patients until 1-year follow-up. Seven of 16 LATG patients (44%) were categorized as "underweight (BMI<18.5 kg/m2)" at 1-year follow-up, compared to three of 18 LAPG patients (17%; p = 0.0836). The PGSAS-45 showed no significant difference in all QOL categories except for decreased BW (p = 0.0132). Multivariate analysis showed that LATG was the only potential risk factor for severe BW loss (odds ratio: 3.03, p = 0.0722). CONCLUSIONS: LAPG with DFT was superior to LATG in postoperative nutritional maintenance, and can be the first option for early proximal gastric cancer.

Intraperitoneal cancer-immune microenvironment promotes peritoneal dissemination of gastric cancer.

A solid tumor consists of cancer and stromal cells, which comprise the tumor microenvironment (TME). Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are usually abundant in the TME, contributing to tumor progression. In cases of peritoneal dissemination of gastric cancer (GC), the contribution of intraperitoneal TAMs remains unclear. Macrophages from peritoneal washings of GC patients were analyzed, and the link between intraperitoneal TAMs and GC cells was investigated to clarify the interaction between them in peritoneal dissemination. Macrophages were predominant among leukocytes constituting the microenvironment of the peritoneal cavity. The proportion of CD163-positive TAMs was significantly higher in stage IV than in stage I GC. Co-culture with TAMs potentiated migration and invasion of GC. IL-6 was the most increased in the medium of in vitro co-culture of macrophages and GC, and IL-6 elevation was also observed in the peritoneal washes with peritoneal dissemination. An elevated concentration of intraperitoneal IL-6 was correlated with a poor prognosis in clinical cases. In conclusion, intraperitoneal TAMs are involved in promoting peritoneal dissemination of GC via secreted IL-6. TAM-derived IL-6 could be a potential therapeutic target for peritoneal dissemination of GC.

Clinical Impact of Sarcopenia on Gastric Cancer.

Sarcopenia is a complex syndrome defined by progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. Although sarcopenia is mainly associated with aging, cancer is also one of its causes. Sarcopenia is now drawing attention as a poor prognostic factor in cancer. In patients with gastric cancer associated with eating disorders that often leads to loss of weight and muscle, sarcopenia is particularly important. Its definition and method of assessment, however, vary between studies, thus these need to be standardized. Nevertheless, emerging evidence suggests that sarcopenia contributes independently to postoperative complications and overall survival in gastric cancer. Interventions preventing sarcopenia with targeted nutrition and exercise are currently explored. This review aims to provide an understanding of sarcopenia, emphasizing its importance in the management of gastric cancer.

Comparison of the Effects of Epidural Analgesia and Patient-controlled Intravenous Analgesia on Postoperative Pain Relief and Recovery After Laparoscopic Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer.

PURPOSE: Epidural analgesia (EDA) is an imperative modality for postoperative pain relief after major open abdominal surgery. However, whether EDA has benefits in laparoscopic surgery has not been clear. In this study, the effects of EDA and patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) after laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG) were compared. METHODS: This was a retrospective study that included 82 patients undergoing LDG for gastric cancer. Patients received either EDA (n=67) or PCIA (n=15) for postoperative pain relief. Postoperative outcomes and analgesia-related adverse events were compared between the two modalities. RESULTS: EDA and PCIA patients showed no differences in the incidence of complications [9 (13%) vs. 2 (13%); P=0.99] and the length of postoperative hospital stay (9.6±4.5 d vs. 9.7±4.0 d; P=0.90), although the PCIA included poorer preoperative physical status (PS) patients. The number of additional doses of analgesics was higher in the EDA than in the PCIA (1.8±2.4 vs. 0.9±1.0; P=0.01), although postoperative pain scores were similar in the 2 groups. Though the time to first passage of flatus was shorter in the EDA (P<0.05), more EDA patients developed postoperative hypotension as an adverse event (P<0.01). The full mobilization day and the day of oral intake tolerance were not significantly different between the 2 groups after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: After LDG, EDA may not be indispensable, while PCIA may be the optimal modality for providing safe and effective postoperative analgesia and recovery.

The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition induced by tumor-associated macrophages confers chemoresistance in peritoneally disseminated pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: The peritoneum is one of the most frequent metastatic sites in pancreatic cancer patients, and peritoneal dissemination makes this disease refractory due to aggressive progression and chemoresistance. Although the role of the tumor microenvironment in cancer development is recognized, the correlation between the peritoneal environment and refractoriness of peritoneal dissemination remains unclear. The intraperitoneal tumor-microenvironment and its potential role in the progression of peritoneal dissemination and chemo-refractoriness, focusing especially on macrophages, were investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Peritoneal washes were obtained from pancreatic cancer patients, and cellular components were subjected to immunofluorescence assays. The effects of macrophages induced from monocytic THP-1 cells on pancreatic cancer cells were examined in co-culture conditions. The in vivo effects of macrophages on tumor growth and chemo-sensitivity were investigated by subcutaneously or intraperitoneally co-injecting cancer cells with macrophages into mice. RESULTS: CD204-positive macrophages were present along with cancer cells in the peritoneal washes. In in vitro co-culture, tumor-associated macrophages affected pancreatic cancer cells, induced the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and made them more resistant to chemotherapeutic agents. M2 macrophages promoted growth of both subcutaneous tumors and peritoneal dissemination in mice. Furthermore, co-inoculation of M2 macrophages conferred chemoresistance in the peritoneal dissemination mouse model, which significantly shortened their survival. CONCLUSION: Intraperitoneal tumor-associated macrophages potentially play an important role in promotion of peritoneal dissemination and chemoresistance of pancreatic cancer via EMT induction.

Integrated fluorescent cytology with nano-biologics in peritoneally disseminated gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer patients positive for peritoneal cytology are at increased risk of tumor recurrence, but although a certain proportion of cytology-positive patients relapse rapidly with aggressive progression, others survive longer with conventional chemotherapies. This heterogeneity makes it difficult to stratify patients for more intensive therapy and poses a substantial challenge for the implementation of precision medicine. We developed a new approach to identify biologically malignant subpopulations in cytology-positive gastric cancer patients, using a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing attenuated adenovirus in which the telomerase promoter regulates viral replication (TelomeScan, OBP-401). The fluorescence emitted from TelomeScan-positive cells was successfully quantified using a multi-mode microplate reader. We then analyzed clinical peritoneal washes obtained from 68 gastric cancer patients and found that patients positive for TelomeScan had a significantly worse prognosis. In 21 cytology-positive patients, the median survival time of those who were TelomeScan positive (235 days) was significantly shorter than that for those who were TelomeScan negative (671 days; P = 0.0062). This fluorescent virus-guided cytology detects biologically malignant cancer cells from the peritoneal washes of gastric cancer patients and may thus be useful for both therapy stratification and precision medicine approaches based on genetic profiling of disseminated cells.

Randomized Controlled Trial of Epidural versus Patient-controlled Intravenous Analgesia for Postoperative Pain Control after Laparoscopic Gastrectomy.

Although epidural analgesia (EDA) is considered standard postoperative analgesia for open gastrectomy, it has been unclear whether EDA has benefits in laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) because postoperative pain after a laparoscopic procedure is significantly reduced. We are conducting a two-arm, single-center, prospective randomized non-inferiority trial to evaluate the postoperative pain relief of patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) compared to EDA. A total of 132 patients undergoing LG will be randomized to EDA and PCIA groups (n=64 each) for postoperative pain control. The primary endpoint is postoperative pain at 24 h after surgery. This study will clarify the optimal pain management after LG.

Sarcopenia and Comorbidity in Gastric Cancer Surgery as a Useful Combined Factor to Predict Eventual Death from Other Causes.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia is recognized as an important prognostic factor in various types of cancer, including gastric cancer. While long-term survival analyses typically focus on overall and disease-specific survival, death from other causes has received far less attention. METHODS: We reviewed medical records of 491 gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy from January 2005 to March 2014 and whose preoperative computed tomography (CT) images were available for evaluation of sarcopenia. Sarcopenia was defined as the SMA/BSA index (skeletal muscle area divided by body surface area) below the sex-specific lowest quartile. RESULTS: Sarcopenia was significantly associated with age, high body mass index (BMI), presence of comorbidity, high American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status (ASA-PS), high T score, advanced stage, large blood loss, and long hospital stay, but was not significantly associated with postoperative complications. Univariate and multivariate analyses of prognostic factors for overall survival revealed that sarcopenia is an independent predictor of poor prognosis [hazard ratio (HR) 1.46, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-2.09, p  =  0.0454]. Our analysis of death due to other causes found that non-gastric cancer-related deaths were more frequent among sarcopenia patients with comorbidities than in the rest of our study population (p  =  0.0001), while univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that sarcopenia with comorbidity was an independent risk factor for non-gastric cancer-related death (HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.31-3.61, p  =  0.0308), as was age. CONCLUSION: For gastric cancer patients, sarcopenia increases the risk of death from other causes following surgery, which reveals the importance of developing treatment strategies based not only on cancer status but also on other clinical factors, including sarcopenia and comorbidity.

A multi-institution phase II study of docetaxel and S-1 in combination with trastuzumab for HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer (DASH study).

BACKGROUND: Trastuzumab when combined with fluoropyrimidine and cisplatin was proven to improve survival in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive gastric cancer (GC) in the ToGA study. The safety and efficacy of trastuzumab in combination with docetaxel and S-1 have not yet been evaluated. METHODS: This study was a multicenter, phase II study. Patients with chemotherapy-naïve HER2-positive advanced or metastatic GC were eligible. Trastuzumab was administered intravenously on day 1 of the first cycle at 8 and 6 mg/kg in subsequent cycles. Docetaxel was administered intravenously at 40 mg/m2 on day 1 of each cycle. S-1 was administered at a dosage based on body surface area for 14 days in a 3-weekly cycle. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS: A total of 23 patients were enrolled. Median PFS was 6.7 months (95% CI 4.1-10.1). The response rate (RR) was 39.1%. Median overall survival (OS) and time to treatment failure (TTF) were 17.5 and 4.4 months, respectively. Major grade 3-4 adverse events were neutropenia (39.1%), leukopenia (30.4%), and febrile neutropenia (8.7%). CONCLUSION: Trastuzumab in combination with docetaxel and S-1 showed effective antitumor activity and manageable toxicities as first-line treatment for patients with HER2-positive GC.

[Multiple Salvage Radiotherapies for Metachronous Lymph Node Metastasis from Gastric Cancer Contributed to Long-Term Management of Disease].

A 70-year-old man who underwent gastrectomy for Stage III C gastric cancer developed lymph node(LN)metastasis posterior to the pancreatic head 3 years after the radical surgery.He was first treated with radiotherapy(RT)followed by chemotherapy.The irradiated tumor regressed completely.However, the cancer relapsed in a single para-aortic LN and he was treated with RT to the lesion followed by chemotherapy.Although it completely regressed, later, lung metastasis was observed.The lung lesions were well suppressed by switching to docetaxel; however, the cancer relapsed again in a mediastinal LN, and it was not responsive to docetaxel.The growing mediastinal lesion was irradiated again, which resulted in stable disease.The patient has been treated for 4 years and 7 months with all lesions being well-managed, and chemotherapy is being continued.Recurrent gastric cancer after surgery tends to present as multiple lesions; therefore, the principle therapy is systemic chemotherapy and RT is unlikely to be suitable.However, especially in cases of a solitary lesion that is chemo-resistant, RT could be an optimal option and contribute to long-term survival even in patients with recurrent gastric cancer.

Training system for laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy.

PURPOSE: Laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) is likely to become a standard procedure for gastric cancer, which highlights the importance of establishing a training system in which even inexperienced surgeons can perform this procedure safely. This study assesses our training system for LADG based on short-term surgical outcomes. METHODS: We evaluated retrospectively the short-term outcomes of 100 consecutive LADGs with curative D1/D1+ lymph node dissection. Our training system was assessed based on the learning curve of trainees, and factors related to achieving good-quality operations were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: Overall, postoperative complications developed in 10 patients (10%), and included one case of anastomotic leakage (1%) and one case of pancreatic fistula (1%). The learning curve of the trainees plateaued after 10 operator cases in terms of operation time. The importance of the trainer's position was also confirmed by the result that the operation time was significantly longer when trainees with ≤10 operator cases performed LADG with a trainer as scopist vs. a trainer as the first assistant. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that >10 operator cases were the most important factor for achieving good-quality operations. CONCLUSION: These results show that our current LADG procedure and training system are appropriate and effective.

Recurrence after Endoscopic Curative Resection of Mucosal Gastric Cancer Associated with an Adjacent Neoplastic Precursor Lesion.

A 69-year-old man underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early gastric cancer (EGC) at the lesser curvature in the angle of stomach. Histological examination revealed tub1, pM, ly0, v0, pLM(-), pVM(-), and the resection was considered curative. The scar after ESD was followed by esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and biopsy. Twenty months later, EGD showed an ulcerative lesion in the vicinity of the ESD scar, and histological examination of the biopsy specimen showed adenocarcinoma. A distal gastrectomy with lymph node dissection was then performed. Postoperative pathology showed tub1, pM, pN0, ly0, v0, and Stage 1A. Skip lesions were seen in the specimen resected by ESD, and the histological review confirmed so-called "dysplasia-like atypia" (DLA) between the lesions. It has been reported recently that in DLA, the dysplasia-like change involves only the bases of the pits, without upper pit or surface epithelium involvement, and it is said that the rate of DLA is higher in gastric cancer patients. We speculated that a precancerous lesion close to the resected cancer developed into a local recurrence.

Strategic approach to concurrent aberrant left gastric vein and aberrant left hepatic artery in laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer: A case report.

An aberrant left gastric vein (ALGV) directly entering the lateral segment of the liver is a rare variation in the portal vein system, whereas an aberrant left hepatic artery (ALHA) arising from the left gastric artery is observed relatively frequently. Here we report a case in which both ALGV and ALHA were encountered before laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with curative lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer. We accurately diagnosed these vessel anomalies preoperatively on abdominal contrast-enhanced CT. During surgery, we divided the ALGV at the point of entry to the liver and preserved the ALHA by dividing the branches toward the stomach, in consideration of curability and safety. The postoperative course was uneventful overall, although temporary mild liver dysfunction was observed. This case highlights the importance of preoperative evaluation and preparation in a rare case of concurrent ALGV and ALHA.

[Pathological complete response in a case of advanced gastric cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy].

A 6 2-year-old man with advanced gastric cancer was referred to our hospital. A gastroscopy revealed a type 3 tumor invading the esophagus in the lesser curvature of the stomach cardia. We diagnosed the tumor as cStageIIIB(T4bN1M0) gastric cancer. For the best chance of a pathological complete response, we selected neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) with S-1+CDDP (SP therapy). A total gastrectomy with lymph node dissection was performed after 2 courses of SP therapy. Pathological evaluation of the resected stomach and lymph nodes indicated an absence of cancerous cells, confirming a pathological complete response (pCR). The patient has been followed up for 4 months without evidence of recurrence.