Adenocarcinoma of the stomach: univariate and multivariate analyses of factors associated with survival.

Gastric cancer is one of the most frequent human tumors. Most patients are diagnosed at advanced stages, and fatal outcome is expected. Seven-hundred and seven patient charts were retrospectively reviewed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the impact of clinicopathologic and treatment variables on survival. Most patients (50%) were at advanced stages, harboring poorly differentiated tumors. Surgery, mostly palliative, was performed in 85% of patients. Chemotherapy was administered to 52% of patients. On univariate analysis, significant prognostic factors were age, TNM stage, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, tumor grade, curative surgery attempt, performance status and tumor site. On multivariate analysis, independent prognostic factors were TNM stage, tumor site, postsurgical residual disease and chemotherapy. Median survival was 16.5 months. In our study, the use of chemotherapy has been shown to be an independent factor with a favorable impact on survival, also related to the regimen used. However, phase III prospective randomized trials are awaited.