Incidence, Natural History, and Patterns of Locoregional Recurrence in Gastric Cancer Patients Treated With Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy

Purpose: To retrospectively determine the incidence and patterns (in-field, marginal, or out-of-field) of locoregional gastric cancer recurrence in patients who received preoperative chemoradiotherapy and to determine the outcome in these patients. Methods and Materials: Between 1994 and 2004, 149 patients with gastric carcinoma were treated according to institutional protocols with preoperative chemoradiotherapy. Ultimately, 105 patients had an R0 resection. Of these 105 patients, 65 received preoperative chemotherapy followed by chemoradiotherapy and 40 received preoperative chemoradiotherapy. Most (96%) of these patients received 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy during radiotherapy, and the median radiation dose was 45 Gy. We retrospectively identified and classified the patterns of locoregional recurrence. Results: The 3-year actuarial incidence of locoregional recurrence was 13%, with locoregional disease recurring as any part of the failure pattern in 14 patients. Most (64%) of the evaluable locoregional recurrences were in-field. Of the 4 patients with a marginal recurrence, 2 had had inadequate coverage of the regional nodal volumes on their oblique fields. The pathologic complete response rate was 23%. A pathologic complete response was the only statistically significant predictor of locoregional control. Conclusion: Patients with gastric cancer who received preoperative chemoradiotherapy had low rates of locoregional recurrence. This strategy merits prospective multi-institutional and randomized evaluation.