Recent developments in the treatment of gastric carcinoma

Surgery remains the mainstay for the curative treatment of gastric carcinoma. However, despite adequate surgery, survival remains poor. The use of adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy has been examined in multiple previous clinical trials without convincing evidence of efficacy. However, recently, a large randomized controlled Intergroup trial, INT 116, demonstrated a survival advantage with chemoradiotherapy following curative surgery for gastric cancer. This review discusses the merits of the Intergroup trial and the ways in which it should affect the treatment of gastric cancer in the United States. INT 116 provides a foundation on which we can build to improve the care of patients with gastric cancer. With the evaluation of potentially better chemotherapeutic agents and the advent of molecularly directed therapy, there is increasing hope for improving the care of patients with gastric carcinoma.