GEMCITABINE IN TREATMENT OF LOCALLY DISSEMINATED GASTRIC CANCER INVOLVING THE ESOPHAGUS

Krahmalyov P.S., Kirkilevskiy S.I., Krahmalyov S.N., Kondratskyy Y.N., Zaytsev S.L.

The paper reports and analyses the results of a polychemotherapy (PCT) of gastric cancer involving the esophagus with the use of gemcitabine and traditional PCT regimes using platinum or fluorouracil. Overall, 349 patients were treated, including: 89 with the use of gemcitabine, 117 with the use of traditional PCT; and 143 patients with surgery alone or non-specific treatment. The direct outcomes of the application of gemcitabine-based PCT are assessed as satisfactory. The study revealed a statistically significant increase in PCT efficiency with the use of gemcitabine compared to traditional PCT regimes and surgery and/or non- specific treatment alone. Thus, 1-year survival rates of radically operated patients exposed to the above listed regimes were 85.4 ± 7.9, 65.6 ± 7.9 and 58.5 ± 6.5% respectively, 2-year survival rates were 57.1 ± 14.8, 39.9 ± 8.2; and 35.0 ± 6.4%; 1-year survival rates after palliative operations were 73.2 ± 12.5%, 45.9 ± 11.5%; and 30.5 ± 7.1%; and 2-year survival rates were 33.4 ± 18.3, 12.7 ± 7.5; and 20.7 ± 6.7%. 1-year survival rates of non-operable patients were 61.2 ± 9.6, 56.6 ± 9.1; and 29.7 ± 7.5% respectively. PCT with the use of traditional regimes did not show any advantages compared to surgery and symptomatic treatment.