Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer: Where we Stand; An Italian Single Center Perspective

Neoadjuvant or perioperative chemotherapy is the standard treatment for locally advanced gastric cancer. However, in Eastern countries this is still debated. The aim of our study was to evaluate the survival impact of neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

A total of 60 patients who underwent preoperative chemotherapy were compared to patients with locally advanced gastric cancer that underwent upfront surgery.

Median survival of the entire group curatively treated was 41 months with a median progression-free survival of 38 months. By excluding patients with stage IV disease from the neoadjuvant group, a statistically significant difference was reached both in terms of overall survival and disease-free survival. By subdividing patients according to pTNM stages, neoadjuvant patients showed better survival in stage I and II.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy could be an effective treatment for locally advanced disease. However, randomized studies are still needed to fully understand its role and identify patients that will benefit from it.