The place for palliative surgery in patients with stage iv gastric cancer

摘要

Patients with metastatic gastric cancer are usually not good operative candidates. Recent improvements in surgical techniques allowed palliative gastric resection and other surgical procedures. We have examined the place of palliative gastrectomy and its impact on survival in patients with stage IV gastric cancer at initial diagnosis between 2001-2008. A total of 140 patients with stage IV disease were identified; 85 of them had no resection and 55 underwent palliative gastric resection and other procedures. Mean survival in non-operated patients with CHT was 6.4 months. The group with palliative surgery and adjuvant therapy had a significantly better mean survival (17.8 months). Mortality and morbidity rates associated with palliative surgery were 9% and 34.5% respectively. The mean hospital stay was 23 days, higher compared to those with a better stage (17 days). These data suggest that palliative surgery and adjuvant CHT improve survival in patients with stage IV gastric cancer.