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Characteristics of recurrence and metastatic development of signet ring cell carcinoma of the stomach were studied in 59 cases after combined and surgical treatment. Peritoneal dissemination appeared to be the most frequent pattern of tumor progression. It accounted for 55% of all relapses and occurred in 27% of patients even without extension through serous membrane (pT2). Metastasizing through the lymphatic viae was fairly frequent mostly in cases of peritoneal carcinomatosis while blood flow-related dissemination was not. Subtotal resection in patients with early-stage signet ring cell carcinoma (pT1) was justified because local recurrences are extremely rare in that pathology. Since (pT2-4) stump relapse is fairly frequent (14-16%), the operation of choice was gastrectomy, whatever site of tumor. Regional metastasis recurrence was 20% among patients with relapsing tumor. It usually co-occurred with distant metastases and, therefore, was less clinically significant. However, when concomitant with local recurrence, it ruled out radical treatment. Preoperative radiotherapy was followed by a significant drop in regional metastasis recurrence rate (4.5 and 13.3%, p = 0.04).

The end-results of combined and surgical treatment of gastric cancer are compared. Survival rates were sufficiently high in both procedures in cases without extension through the serosa (T1-2) or regional metastases with adenocarcinoma cells were well differentiated (NO). However, combined treatment proved more effective in cases of the opposite situations (p=0.04-0.0001). Considering the possibility of inadequate staging, the following indications for preoperative radiotherapy are suggested: low cell differentiation, signet-cell or undifferentiated gastric tumor of 3-10 cm in diameter. In other words, early cancer of the stomach and total involvement must be excluded.

The 30-year experience with combined and surgical treatment of gastric cancer gained at the Center is discussed. The results of surgery were improved due to use of intensive preoperative radiotherapy, metronidazole and dynamic fractionated treatment. There was no correlation between intensive preoperative radiotherapy and postoperative complication incidence or lethality, irrespective of extent of surgery or lymph node dissection. Moreover, radiotherapy was followed by a considerable decrease in postoperative incidence of pancreatitis due to inhibition of secretory function by the pancreas. Use of modern technology of radiotherapy planning and implementing left virtually no serious damage. Considering the recent changes introduced to standards for surgical treatment of gastric cancer, our findings point to a safe combination of preoperative radiotherapy with extended surgical and combined treatment.

The paper discusses the end results of combined treatment of stomach cancer (radical surgery plus pre- and intraoperative radiotherapy). A randomized evaluation showed that it might be used for loco-regional monitoring. Five-year rates and median of survival rose significantly, as compared with surgery alone, in tumor extension through the stomach wall (T3-4), metastatic dissemination to lymph nodes (N1-2), combinations of such pathologies as well as in cases of low-differentiated, undifferentiated and signet- cell cancer.

The immediate and end results of surgical and combined treatment of cancer of the body of the stomach have been evaluated. The combined therapy used intensive preoperative procedures. No significant differences in mortality and postoperative complication rates between combined treatment and surgery were reported. The joint use of preoperative irradiation and radical surgery was followed by better end results in therapy of such locally advanced malignancies as invasion through the stomach wall, metastases to the regional lymph nodes, stage III and infiltrative growth.

The paper discusses our findings on a phase II clinical study of an original procedure for therapy of locally advanced gastric cancer including pre- and intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) and extended lymph node dissection. Out of 24 patients, none had intraoperative complications while postoperative ones developed in 16%; lethality rate was 4%. As far as immediate results are concerned, intensive pre- and intraoperative radiotherapy proved fully compatible with any surgical procedure including extended and extended-combined ones. Survival rates (Kaplan-Meier) were: 1 yr--90 +/- 6%; 2-, 3-year--74 +/- 9%. Indications of adjuvant radiotherapy and approaches to its effective use are discussed.