Gastric Linitis Plastica: Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes from the National Cancer Database

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Gastroenterology
• Cancer Research

Background:

• Gastric linitis plastica (LP) is a rare and aggressive subtype of gastric cancer with limited clinical data.
• Understanding its characteristics is crucial for improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the clinical features, treatment strategies, and survival outcomes of gastric linitis plastica (LP).
• To identify predictors of survival in patients with gastric LP using a national database.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of the National Cancer Database (NCDB) from 2004 to 2017.
• Inclusion of 896 patients with histologically confirmed primary gastric LP.
• Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards modeling for survival evaluation.

Main Results:

• The cohort predominantly comprised white females with advanced-stage disease (69% stage IV).
• Overall survival was significantly influenced by treatment modality, with multimodal therapy yielding the best outcomes (28.4 months OS).
• Advanced stage, absence of surgery, and lack of chemotherapy were independently associated with increased mortality risk.

Conclusions:

• Gastric linitis plastica (LP) is associated with a poor prognosis.
• Multimodal treatment, incorporating surgical resection and systemic therapy (especially neoadjuvant chemotherapy), appears to be the most effective strategy for improving long-term survival.