A PILOT STUDY OF PREOPERATIVE AND POSTOPERATIVE CHEMOTHERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH OPERABLE GASTRIC CANCER: AUSTRALASIAN GASTROINTESTINAL TRIALS GROUP STUDY 9601

Background: With poor cure rates in gastric cancer using surgery alone, the safety, efficacy and feasibility of preoperative and postoperative chemotherapy was investigated. Methods: Patients with advanced but operable gastric or cardio-oesophageal adenocarcinoma were staged using endoscopy, computed tomography scan and laparoscopy. If considered potentially resectable, they received chemotherapy (epirubicin, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil) for 9 weeks before and after surgery. Results: Of 59 participants entered, two were found to have metastatic disease and were excluded from the analysis. Of the participants, 10 were women and 47 men; their median age was 58 years (range 27–83 years) and median performance status 0 (range 0–1). Two of the 57 participants commencing chemotherapy did not undergo surgery (one sudden death, one new liver metastases). Grade 3 and 4 preoperative and postoperative toxicity rates were, respectively, neutropenia 22 and 18%, emesis 12 and 14% and other non-haematological toxicity