Survival predictors of patients with gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis

Although many authors investigate the prognostic factors of gastric cancer, there are few comprehensive studies on the surgical results and prognostic factors in patients with gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis. The aim was to describe the clinicopathological features and prognosis of patients with gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis.

We reviewed the records of 172 consecutive patients diagnosed as having primary gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis from January 1997 to June 2004. Clinicopathologic prognostic variables were evaluated as predictors of long-term survival by univariate and multivariate analysis.

The tumors were characterized by positive lymph node metastasis (93.0%). The 1-year survival rate of patients was 19.3%, and median survival period was 16 months. The 1-year survival rate was influenced by lymph node metastasis, surgery methods, and chemotherapy. Of these, independent prognostic factors were lymph node metastasis (present vs. absent, relative risk 1.671, p = 0.005) and resection (no vs. yes, relative risk 1.402, p = 0.013).

Lymph node metastasis and resection emerged as two independent prognostic factors for long-term survival in patients with gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis. Palliative resection of the primary tumor is important for appraising the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis.