Polish Consensus on Treatment of Gastric Cancer; update 2017

The "Polish Research on Gastric Cancer" project has been continued since 1986. The main aim of this project, which is a multicenter and interdisciplinary research, is enhancing the treatment results of gastric cancer patients by developing and promoting the use of optimal methods for diagnosis and treatment, both surgical as well as combined. One of the more important achievements of the project is the development and publication of a document named "Polish Consensus on Treatment of Patients with Gastric Cancer", whose first version was published in 1998. Following versions were updated adequately to changing trends in the proceedings in patients with gastric cancer. A scientific symposium on "Polish Consensus on Treatment of Gastric Cancer - update 2016" was held in 3-4 June 2016 in Cracow. During the symposium a panel session was held during which all authors publicly presented the Consensus assumptions to be discussed further. Moreover, the already mentioned session was preceded by a correspondence as well as a working meeting in order to consolidate the position. It has to be underlined that the directions and guidelines included in the Consensus are not the arbitrarily assumed rules of conduct in a legal aspect and as such every doctor/team of doctors is entitled to make different decisions as long as they are beneficial to a patient with gastric cancer. The Consensus discusses as follows: a) recommended qualifications (stage of advancement, pathological, lymph node topography and the extent of lymphadenectomy, division of cancer of the gastroesophageal junction), b) rules for diagnostics including recommendations regarding endoscopic examination and clinical evaluation of the advancement stage, c) recommendations regarding surgical treatment (extent of resection, extent of lymphadenectomy, tactics of proceedings in cancer of the gastroesophageal junction), d) recommendations regarding combined treatment with chemotherapy or radiotherapy, e) place of endoscopic and less invasive surgery in the treatment of gastric cancer. This publication is a summary of the arrangements made in the panel session during the abovementioned scientific symposium in Cracow in 2016.