Efficacy and safety of laparoscopic vs open gastrectomy after neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced gastric cancer

BACKGROUND Laparoscopic gastrectomy(LG)is widely accepted as a minimally invasive approach for the treatment of early gastric cancer.However,its role in locally advanced gastric cancer(LAGC)after neoadjuvant therapy(NAT)remains controversial.This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of LG vs open gastrectomy(OG)after NAT for the treatment of LAGC.AIM To compare the efficacy and safety of LG vs OG after NAT for LAGC.METHODS We conducted a prospective study of 76 patients with LAGC who underwent NAT followed by LG(n=38)or OG(n=38)between 2021 and 2023.The primary endpoint was overall survival(OS),and the secondary endpoints were diseasefree survival(DFS),surgical complications,and quality of life(QOL).RESULTS The two groups had comparable baseline characteristics,with a median follow-up period of 24 mo.The 3-year OS rates in the LG and OG groups were 68.4%and 60.5%,respectively(P=0.42).The 3-year DFS rates in the LG and OG groups were 57.9%and 50.0%,respectively(P=0.51).The LG group had significantly less blood loss(P<0.001),a shorter hospital stay(P<0.001),and a lower incidence of surgical site infection(P=0.04)than the OG group.There were no significant differences in other surgical complications between the groups,including anastomotic leakage,intra-abdominal abscess,or wound dehiscence.The LG group had significantly better QOL scores than the OG group regarding physical functioning,role functioning,global health status,fatigue,pain,appetite loss,and body image at 6 months postoperatively(P<0.05).CONCLUSION LG after NAT is a viable and safe alternative to OG for the treatment of LAGC,with similar survival outcomes and superior short-term recovery and QOL.LG patients had less blood loss,shorter hospitalizations,and a lower incidence of surgical site infections than OG patients.Moreover,the LG group had better QOL scores in multiple domains 6 mo postoperatively.Therefore,LG should be considered a valid option for patients with LAGC who undergo NAT,particularly for those who prioritize postoperative recovery and QOL.

Comparison between upfront surgery and neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer:A systematic review

BACKGROUND Gastric cancer(GC)is a major health concern worldwide.Surgical resection and chemotherapy is the mainstay treatment for gastric carcinoma,however,the optimal approach remains unclear and should be different in each individual.Chemotherapy can be administered both pre-and postoperatively,but a multidisciplinary approach is preferred when possible.This is particularly relevant for locally advanced GC(LAGC),as neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAT)could potentially lead to tumor downsizing thus allowing for a complete resection with curative intent.Even though the recent progress has been impressive,European and International guidelines are still controversial,thus attenuating the need for a more standardized approach in the management of locally advanced cancer.AIM To investigate the effects of NAT on the overall survival(OS),the disease-free survival(DFS),the morbidity and the mortality of patients with LAGC in comparison to upfront surgery(US).METHODS For this systematic review,a literature search was conducted between November and February 2023 in PubMed,Cochrane Library and clinicaltrials.gov for studies including patients with LAGC.Two independent reviewers conducted the research and extracted the data according to predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria.The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses was used to form the search strategy and the study protocol has been registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews.RESULTS Eighteen studies with 4839 patients with LAGC in total were included in our systematic review.Patients were separated into two groups;one receiving NAT before the gastrectomy(NAT group)and the other undergoing upfront surgery(US group).The OS ranged from 41.6%to 74.2%in the NAT group and from 30.9%to 74%in the US group.The DFS was also longer in the NAT group and reached up to 80%in certain patients.The complications related to the chemotherapy or the surgery ranged from 6.4%to 38.1%in the NAT group and from 5%to 40.5%in the US group.Even though in most of the studies the morbidity was lower in the NAT group,a general conclusion could not be drawn as it seems to depend on multiple factors.Finally,regarding the mortality,the reported rate was higher and up to 5.3%in the US group.CONCLUSION NAT could be beneficial for patients with LAGC as it leads to better OS and DFS than the US approach with the same or even lower complication rates.However,patients with different clinicopathological features respond differently to chemotherapy,therefore currently the treatment plan should be individualized in order to achieve optimal results.

Current Status and Research Progress of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumours worldwide, with a high degree of malignancy and a poor prognosis. While early gastric cancer can be cured by surgical treatment, locally advanced gastric cancer requires neoadjuvant therapy to shrink the tumour, suppress potential metastases, achieve down-staging, and provide patients with the opportunity for radical surgery to prolong their survival. This article reviews the current status and progress of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced gastric cancer.

Postoperative chemotherapy with S-1 plus oxaliplatin versus S-1alone in locally advanced gastric cancer(RESCUE-GC study): a protocol for a phase Ⅲ randomized controlled trial

Background： The ACTS-GC study had shown postoperative adiuvant therapy with S-1 improved survival of patients with locally advanced gastric cancer. Addition of oxaliplatin to S-1 is considered to be acceptable as one of the treatment options for gastric cancer patients after radical gastrectomy with D2 lymph node excision. Methods： We have commenced a randomized phase III trial in December 2016 to evaluate S-I plus oxaliplatin compared with S-1 alone in the adjuvant setting for locally advanced gastric cancer. A total of 564 patients will be accrued from 13 Chinese institutions in two years. The primary endpoint is 3-year relapse-free survival. The secondary endpoints are 5-year overall survival, proportion of patients who complete the postoperative chemotherapy and incidence of adverse events. Ethic and dissemination： The trial has been approved by the institutional review board of each participating institution and it was activated on December, 2016. The enrollment will be finished in December, 2018. Patient＇s follow-up will be ended until December, 2023. Trial registration： ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier： NCT02867839. Registered on August 4, 2016.

Benefit of adjuvant chemoradiotherapy in patients with pathologically lymph node-positive and locally advanced gastric cancer

Objective This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of adjuvant chemoradiotherapy(CRT)and adjuvant chemotherapy(ChT)for T3–4/N+gastric cancer(GC)following D2/R0 dissection,and identify the specific subgroups that could benefit from adjuvant CRT.Methods All eligible patients were divided into the CRT group and ChT group.We assessed the survival outcomes and patterns of recurrence for each group,and determined the prognostic factors for survival by performing Cox proportional risk regression analyses.Results A total of 192 gastric cancer patients were included in the study.The estimated 3-year and 5-year disease-free survival(DFS)probabilities in the CRT and ChT groups were 52.9%vs.36.7%(P=0.024)and 41.2%vs.31.1%(P=0.148),respectively,and the estimated 3-year and 5-year overall survival(OS)probabilities were 82.4%vs.70.0%(P=0.044)and 52.0%vs.35.6%(P=0.022).Patients in the CRT group had a lower risk of locoregional recurrence than those in the ChT group(20.6%vs.34.4%;P=0.031).The subset analyses revealed that patients with stage N1–2 disease were more likely to benefit from adjuvant CRT than from adjuvant ChT(DFS:53.1%vs.36.4%;P=0.039;OS:53.1%vs.38.6%;P=0.036).Conclusion For locally advanced gastric cancer patients with LN+,adjuvant CRT showed superior survival benefits compared with adjuvant ChT alone.Patients with N1–2 achieved better survival from adjuvant CRT.

Epidemiology and prognostic nomogram for locally advanced gastric signet ring cell carcinoma:A population-based study

BACKGROUND Gastric signet ring cell carcinoma(GSRC)represents a specific subtype of gastric cancer renowned for its contentious epidemiological features,treatment principles,and prognostic factors.AIM To investigate the epidemiology of GSRC and establish an improved model for predicting the prognosis of patients with locally advanced GSRC(LAGSRC)after surgery.METHODS The annual rates of GSRC incidence and mortality,covering the years 1975 to 2019,were extracted from the Surveillance,Epidemiology,and End Results(SEER)database to explore the temporal trends in both disease incidence and mortality rates using Joinpoint software.The clinical data of 3793 postoperative LAGSRC patients were collected from the SEER database for the analysis of survival rates.The Cox regression model was used to explore the independent prognostic factors for overall survival(OS).The risk factors extracted were used to establish a prognostic nomogram.RESULTS The overall incidence of GSRC increased dramatically between 1975 and 1998,followed by a significant downward trend in incidence after 1998.In recent years,there has been a similarly optimistic trend in GSRC mortality rates.The trend in GSRC showed discrepancies based on age and sex.Receiver operating characteristic curves,calibration curves,and decision curve analysis for 1-year,3-year,and 5-year OS demonstrated the high discriminative ability and clinical utility of this nomogram.The area under the curve indicated that the performance of the new model outperformed that of the pathological staging system.CONCLUSION The model we established can aid clinicians in the early prognostication of LAGSRC patients,resulting in improved clinical outcomes by modifying management strategies and patient health care.

Interpretation of the development of neoadjuvant therapy for gastric cancer based on the vicissitudes of the NCCN guidelines

Gastric cancer is one of the most common digestive system tumors in China,and locally advanced gastric cancer(LAGC)accounts for a high proportion of newly diagnosed cases.Although surgery is the main treatment for gastric cancer,surgical excision alone cannot achieve satisfactory outcomes in LAGC patients.Neoadjuvant therapy(NAT)has gradually become the standard treatment for patients with LAGC,and this treatment can not only achieve tumor downstaging and improve surgical rate and the R0 resection rate,but it also significantly improves the long-term prognosis of patients.Peri/preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy and preoperative chemoradiotherapy are both recommended according to a large number of studies,and the regimens have also been evolved in the past decades.Since the NCCN guidelines for gastric cancer are one of the most authoritative evidence-based guidelines worldwide,here,we demonstrate the development course and major breakthroughs of NAT for gastric cancer based on the vicissitudes of the NCCN guidelines from 2007 to 2019,and also discuss the future of NAT.