[Effects of radiation therapy for paraaortic lymph node involvement and recurrent lymph node metastases from gastric...

Effects of radiation therapy for lymph node metastases from gastric cancer were retrospectively analyzed. The radiation sites were residual paraaortic lymph node involvement and postoperative recurrent lymph node metastases in 10 patients. The size of lymph node swelling was decreased in 6 (60%) patients after radiation therapy using liniac. Complaints due to lymph node metastases such as pain and edema of extremities were voiced by 7 patients. These complaints were eventually relieved or disappeared in all 7 patients. There were no severe adverse effects during radiation therapy, and 7 patients (70%) could shift to home care. One-year and 3-year survival rates were 20 and 10%, respectively. Radiation therapy for lymph node metastases from gastric cancer was chiefly effective in relieving complaints. Although it is unclear whether radiation therapy can improve the survival rate, these results suggest that radiation therapy could be one of the most useful locoregional therapies for paraaortic lymph node involvement and recurrent lymph node metastases from gastric cancer.