Effect of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapyon the prognosis of patients with ypT0-3N0 rectalcancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) on theprognosis of patients with ypT0-3N0 rectal cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.Methods The study participants were 110 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. Thirty-fourpatients did not receive postoperative AC treatment, and the other 76 patients received postoperative ACtreatment. The differences in the 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) between thetwo groups were compared.Results Age was an important determinant of the patients’ decision to undergo postoperative treatment.Patients who did not receive AC treatment were significantly older than those who received AC treatment(P < 0.05). The tumor location (distance above anal margin) in the AC group was significantly larger thanthat in the non-AC group (P < 0.05). Moreover, there was no significant difference in the 5-year DFS andOS between the two groups. Postoperative AC did not significantly improve the prognosis of patients withrectal cancer. Age, tumor differentiation, and the number of resected lymph nodes were independent factorsaffecting the OS of patients (P < 0.05). Older patients, patients with lower degree of tumor differentiation,and patients with <12 resected lymph nodes showed worse prognosis (P < 0.05).Conclusion Patients with rectal cancer whose ypT0-3N0 stage is reduced after neoadjuvantchemoradiotherapy, especially those without adverse prognostic factors, do not need AC after surgery.

Gastric cancer: prevention and treatment of peritoneal metastases

Gastric cancer is an aggressive malignancy that may metastasize through the bloodstream to the liver,through lymphatics to regi onal lymph n odes,or by pen etratio n of the perit on eal lining of the stomach to result in seed ing of the abdom inal and pelvis surfaces.Peritoneal metastases are the most common mode of cancer dissemination.Technologies to prevent or treat perit on eal metastases from adva need gastric can cer are prese nted in this manu script.The world's literature,both recent and over the past three decades,was reviewed in order to identify publications that present information regarding gastric cancer peritoneal metastases.Over one dozen randomized controlled trials to test perioperative chemotherapy for prevention of peritoneal metastases were reviewed.All of the trials performed with regional chemotherapy during or shortly after gastrectomy were positive.The clinical data regarding the treatment of peritoneal metastases diagnosed at the time of primary can cer resecti on or in follow-up were reviewed.Neoadjuva nt in traperit on eal and systemic chemotherapy shows that some long-term survivors occur after these treatments were combined with cytoreductive surgery and gastrectomy.Similar treatments are advocated for primary gastric cancer with cytology positive for gastric cancer but no visible implants.Surgery for gastric cancer should be combined with perioperative systemic and regional chemotherapy in order to maximally benefit patients with this disease by reducing the negative impact of peritoneal metastases on survival.