Second-line chemotherapy for patients with advanced gastric cancer: who may benefit?

摘要: No established second-line chemotherapy is available for patients with advanced gastric cancer failing to respond or progressing first-line chemotherapy. However, 20–40% of these commonly receive We evaluated the influence clinico-pathologic factors on survival 175 patients, who received at three oncology departments. Univariate and multivariate analyses found five which were independently associated poor overall survival: performance status 2 (hazard ratio (HR), 1.79; 95% CI, 1.16–2.77; P=0.008), haemoglobin ⩽11.5 g l−1 (HR, 1.48; 1.06–2.05; P=0.019), CEA level >50 ng ml−1 1.86; 1.21–2.88; P=0.004), presence greater than equal metastatic sites disease 1.72; 1.16–2.53; P=0.006), time-to-progression under ⩽6 months 1.97; 1.39–2.80; P<0.0001). A prognostic index was constructed dividing into low- (no risk factor), intermediate- (one two factors), high- (three factors) groups, median times each group 12.7 months, 7.1 3.3 respectively (P<0.001). In absence data deriving from randomised trials, this analysis suggests that some easily clinical may help select could derive more benefit