BACKGROUND: Since the recent MAGIC trial neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been considered as treatment option for patients with advanced gastric cancer for tumor-downsizing and increasing R0 resection rates. Morbidity was reported in 45% of the patients treated within this randomized trial. Due to myelotoxicity under chemotherapy a part of the patients might undergo surgery with preoperative leucopenia. As leucopenia causes adverse events such as opportunistic infections and fever, it might be considered as a relevant risk factor in the course of surgical treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed a cohort of neoadjuvantly treated patients (n = 214), which had a clinically inapparent but proven leucopenia (n = 58) before undergoing surgery due to advanced stage gastric cancer. RESULTS: Statistical analysis by Fisher's exact test showed, that there was no significant effect neither on general (P = 0.191) nor on surgery-dependant postoperative complications (P = 0.75). CONCLUSION: Conclusively patients with clinically inapparent leucopenia after neoadjuvant chemotherapy due to advanced stage gastric cancer can be safely operated on without putting them in danger of relevant surgical complications. (c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
BACKGROUND: Since the recent MAGIC trial neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been considered as treatment option for patients with advanced gastric cancer for tumor-downsizing and increasing R0 resection rates. Morbidity was reported in 45% of the patients treated within this randomized trial. Due to myelotoxicity under chemotherapy a part of the patients might undergo surgery with preoperative leucopenia. As leucopenia causes adverse events such as opportunistic infections and fever, it might be considered as a relevant risk factor in the course of surgical treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed a cohort of neoadjuvantly treated patients (n = 214), which had a clinically inapparent but proven leucopenia (n = 58) before undergoing surgery due to advanced stage gastric cancer. RESULTS: Statistical analysis by Fisher's exact test showed, that there was no significant effect neither on general (P = 0.191) nor on surgery-dependant postoperative complications (P = 0.75). CONCLUSION: Conclusively patients with clinically inapparent leucopenia after neoadjuvant chemotherapy due to advanced stage gastric cancer can be safely operated on without putting them in danger of relevant surgical complications. (c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.