Recurrent Gastric Cancer after Gastrectomy Billroth II (5 of 6)

Due to the manipulation with the endoscope, the neoplasia initiates a slight bleeding that was controlled successfully with argon plasma APC. Patients who experience a cancer recurrence following surgery can sometimes benefit from treatment with radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy. Radiation therapy can be extremely effective in temporarily controlling local symptoms from gastric cancer. In one clinical trial, 27 patients with inoperable gastric cancer were treated with chemotherapy and concurrent radiation therapy. The overall response rate was 56%, including 11 % with a complete response. Two years following treatment, 29% of patients were alive without progression of their cancer. It was concluded from this clinical trial that combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy has substantial activity for the local control of advanced gastric cancer. Future clinical trials will continue to evaluate combinations of newer chemotherapy drugs and radiation with other local-regional and systemic treatments.