Abstract

New treatments for gastric cancer: are they changing clinical practice?

Author(s): M Penna, W Allum

Gastric cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Its treatment is dependent on accurate tumor staging and assessment of a patient’s performance status and comorbidities in order to provide optimal individualized management. Improved survival outcomes with reduced recurrence rates became possible thanks to better understanding of appropriate lymphadenectomy and utilization of combination surgery and chemotherapy. For superficial T1 tumors, endoscopic mucosal resection and submucosal dissection are treatment options with promising outcomes similar to surgical approaches. For more invasive gastric tumors, surgery with perioperative chemotherapy is generally regarded as the standard of treatment, with most surgeons advocating D2 node dissection. Nonetheless, many aspects of gastric cancer care remain debated and results from further randomized trials are eagerly awaited.