Peritoneal Carcinomatosis from Gastric Cancer: A Multi-Institutional Study of 159 Patients Treated by Cytoreductive Surgery Combined with Perioperative Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy

Olivier Glehen MD, PhD, François Noel Gilly MD, PhD, Catherine Arvieux MD, PhD, Eddy Cotte MD, Florent Boutitie, Baudouin Mansvelt MD, PhD, Jean Marc Bereder MD, Gérard Lorimier MD, François Quenet MD, Dominique Elias MD, PhD
Gastrointestinal Oncology
Volume 17, Issue 9 / September , 2010

View full article HTML | View full article PDF | Download Citation

Abstract

Background

Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) from gastric cancer has long been regarded a terminal disease with a short median survival. New locoregional therapeutic approaches combining cytoreductive surgery with perioperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy (PIC) have evolved and suggest improved survival.

Materials and Methods

A retrospective multicentric study was performed in French-speaking centers to evaluate the toxicity and the principal prognostic factors in order to identify the best indications. All patients had cytoreductive surgery and PIC: hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) and/or early postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy (EPIC).

Results

The study included 159 patients from 15 institutions between February 1989 and August 2007. The median follow-up was 20.4 months. HIPEC was the PIC used for 150 procedures. Postoperative mortality and grade 3–4 morbidity rates were 6.5 and 27.8%, respectively. By multivariate analysis, the institution had a significant influence on toxicity. The overall median survival was 9.2 months and 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 43, 18, and 13%, respectively. The only independent prognostic indicator by multivariate analysis was the completeness of cytoreductive surgery. For patients treated by complete cytoreductive surgery, the median survival was 15 months with a 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rate of 61, 30, and 23%, respectively.

Conclusions

The therapeutic approach combining cytoreductive surgery with PIC for patients with gastric carcinomatosis may achieve long-term survival in a selected group of patients (limited and resectable PC). The high mortality rate underlines this necessarily strict selection that should be reserved to experienced institutions involved in the management of PC and gastric surgery.

Go to Issue Contents