Surgical Resection First for Localized Gastric Adenocarcinoma: Are There Adjuvant Options?

A 55-year-old male presented with upper abdominal bloating followed by modest hematemesis that led to the diagnosis of an ulcerated poorly differentiated (with signet ring cells) adenocarcinoma in the angularis of the stomach. A contrast-enhanced positron emission tomography (PET) with computed tomography (CT) scan showed higher-than-normal physiologic avidity (standardized uptake value, 4.3) in the proximal stomach but not in the lower stomach, and the CT scan vaguely suggested a polypoid lesion in the distal stomach. Nodes were normal in size, and there were no metastases. He underwent esophagoduodenoscopy with ultrasonography (EUS) that showed a 3- x 2-cm flat nodular mass with an 8-mm ulcer in the angularis. The tumor mass was demarcated well on narrow-band imaging, and with a 20-MHz EUS probe, it was designated eusT1bN0. His case was presented to our weekly Multidisciplinary Gastric Adenocarcinoma Conference, and the consensus was to offer surgery as primary therapy. He underwent a subtotal gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy along with D2 nodal dissection. The surgical pathology showed a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with signet ring cells; the primary tumor measured 2.8 x 2.2 cm in diameter with infiltration through the muscularis propria and into the subserosal fat. Seven of 53 examined lymph nodes were malignant; therefore, his cancer was staged pT3N3M0 (a higher stage than designated clinically). He recovered well without complications, and the postoperative CT scans showed no metastases. His case was represented at the tumor board meeting, and adjuvant chemotherapy with oxaliplatin and capecitabine was recommended.