Five-year survivor with liver metastasis from gastric cancer successfully treated with systemic chemotherapy

We report a patient with liver metastasis from gastric cancer who has achieved a 5-year survival after systemic chemotherapy. The patient was diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer and received a total gastrectomy in August 1991, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. Liver and lymph node metastases were detected in April 1994, and systemic chemotherapy with a combination of etoposide, doxorubicin, and cisplatin was initiated. Although the liver metastasis completely disappeared, lymph node metastasis at the falciform ligament of the liver and around the portal fissure remained after six courses of this therapy. A second type of chemotherapy, a combination of 5-fluorouracil and methotrexate, was then administered, 12 times, from December 1994 to May 1995, during which time no disease progression was observed. After surgery for the metastatic lymph nodes in August 1995, no progression was observed until December 1998, when a tumor thrombus was detected in the portal vein. Combination chemotherapy of irinotecan and cisplatin was initiated in January 1999. Although tumor regression was achieved after two courses of this, the disease continued to progress after five courses. In July 1999, a fourth type of chemotherapy, using 1 M tegafur-0.4 M gimestat-1 M otastat potassium (S-1), was initiated, and size reduction of the tumor thrombus was achieved; this therapy has continued to the time of submission of this report.