OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical features and prognosis of gastric cancer patients with pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).

METHODSClinical data of 159 gastric cancer patients who received NAC followed by surgical resection between January 2012 and December 2014 at the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Zhengzhou University were collected and clinical features of those with pCR were analyzed retrospectively. Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate 3-year overall survival (OS) rate and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rate. Recurrence factors were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analysis with Cox proportional hazard model.

RESULTSA total of 21 patients(13.2%) achieved pCR, including 13 male and 8 female cases, with the median age at diagnosis of 56 (40 to 70) years. Eleven cases were differentiated tumor and 10 were undifferentiated. Six cases were in clinical baseline stage II(, and 15 were in III(. Five cases received the mFOLFOX6 (oxaliplatin + leucovorin +5-FU), 6 received the SOX (oxaliplatin +S-1), 4 received the XELOX (oxaliplatin + capecitabine), 2 received the EOX (epirubicin + oxaliplatin +capecitabine) and 4 received the DOX (docetaxel + oxaliplatin +capecitabine) chemotherapy regimens. Two cases achieved CR, 18 achieved PR, and 1 was SD after NAC. The median (range) course of preoperative and postoperative chemotherapy were 4(2 to 5) and 2(0 to 5) . All the patients underwent R0 resection plus D2 lymphadenectomy, and 4 cases were performed with proximal gastrectomy, 3 cases were performed with distal gastrectomy, 13 cases were performed with total gastrectomy, and one case was performed with total gastrectomy plus pancreatic splenectomy. Pneumonia, abdominal bleeding and infection, anastomotic leakage, and gastroplegia occurred respectively in one case, who all were cured by conservative treatment. The median follow-up of the survivors was 39.3 (range 22.7 to 56.9) months. Three cases died of recurrence: 1 case in the liver, 1 in the lung, and 1 in the brain. Two cases developed recurrence and survived: 1 in the liver and 1 in celiac lymph nodes. The overall survival and 3-year recurrence-free survival rates were 90.2%(95%CI: 100 to 77.3) and 90.5%(95%CI: 100 to 78.0). Fourteen cases did not complete scheduled chemotherapy course, and the overall 3-year survival rate was 85.1%. Older age(>50 years old)(P=0.028, RR=0.063, 95%CI: 0.005 to 0.743) and no postoperative complication (P=0.023, RR=0.065, 95%CI: 0.006 to 0.689) were identified as independent prognostic factors with Cox multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONPatients diagnosed as gastric cancer with pCR after NAC have good prognosis, but the pCR ratio is low, and those with younger age and more postoperative complications may have higher risk for recurrence and metastasis.