Radiotherapy in Incompletely Resected Gastric Cancers

Kim, Jong Hoon; Choi, Eun Kyung; Cho, Jung Gil; Kim, Byung Sik; Oh, Sung Tae; Kim, Dong Kwan; Chang, Hyesook

Abstract

PURPOSE: Although local recurrence rates of stomach cancer after radical surgery have been eported in the range of 30-70%, the role of postoperative adjuvant therapy has not been established. We report the result of radiotherapy in resected stomach cancer with positive surgical margin to elucidate the role of postoperative radiotherapy.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
From June 1991 to August 1996, twenty five patients with positive surgical margins after radical gastrectomy were treated with postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Median dose of radiation was 55.8Gy and the range was 44.6-59.4Gy. Second cycle of chemotherapy was delivered concurrently with radiation and total number of six cycles were delivered. Twenty three had adenocarcinoma and the other two had leiomyosarcoma. The numbers of patients with stage IB, II, IIIA, IIIB, and IV were 1, 2, 11, 10 and 1 respectively. Positive margins at distal end of the stomach were in 17 patients and proximal in 5. The other three patients had positive margin at the sites of adjacent organ invasion. Minimum and median follow-up periods were 12 months and 18 months, respectively.
RESULTS
Twenty-four of 25 patients received prescribed radiation dose and RTOG grade 3 toxicity of UGI tract was observed in 3, all of which were weight loss more than 15% of their pretreatment weight. But hematemesis, melena, intestinal obstruction or grade 4 toxicity were not found. Locoregional failure within the radiation field was observed in 7 patients, and distant metastasis in 10 patients. Sites of locoregional recurrences involve anastomosis/ remnant stomach in 3, tumor bed/duodenal stump in 3, regional lymph node in 1 patient. Peritoneal seeding occurred in 6, liver metastases in 2, and distant nodes in 2 patients. Four year disease specific survival rate was 40% and disease free survival was 48%. Median survival was 35 months and median disease free survival time was 26 months. Stages and radiation dose were not significant prognostic factors for locoregional failures.
CONCLUSION
Although all patients in this study had positive surgical margins, locoregional failure rate was 28%, and 4 year disease specific survival rate was 40%. Considering small number of patients and relatively short follow-up period, it is not certain that postoperative radiotherapy lowered locoregional recurrences, but we could find a possibility of the role of postoperative radiotherapy in patients with high risk factors.