Postoperative long-term cancer chemotherapy (PLCC) extends life-span of non-curatively resected patients with stage IV gastric cancer.

Postoperative long-term cancer chemotherapy (PLCC) with a combination of Mitomycin-C, Tegafur and PSK (an immunostimulant) was applied to non-curatively resected cases with stage IV gastric cancer (invading the adjacent organs and/or with metastasis to the liver, peritoneum, and/or distant lymph nodes). This approach has a significant life-prolongation effect. The two-year survival rate was 16.8 per cent in the PLCC group, such being higher than 6.7 per cent and 1.7 per cent in MMC and no chemotherapy groups (p less than 0.05). 50 per cent survival periods in those with liver metastasis were 8.3 months in the PLCC group, such being longer than 5.2 and 2.8 months in MMC and no chemotherapy groups (p less than 0.002) respectively. Combination therapy of PLCC and intra-arterial infusion of 5-FU through the proper hepatic artery prescribed for 8 patients with liver metastasis resulted in a 3-month prolongation of 50 per cent survival periods, compared with PLCC alone (p less than 0.05). In those with peritoneal dissemination the rate was 10.5 months in the PLCC group, that is longer than 6.5 months in the MMC group (p less than 0.02). In cases of invasion to other organs plus distant lymph node metastasis, the time was 11.0 in PLCC and 7.0 months in MMC groups (p less than 0.05). Thus, PLCC is a palliative approach for non-curatively resected carcinoma of the stomach.