Cancer Treatment Could Save Thousands of Lives

Contact:Lesley Nevers, (703) 227-0179[email protected]Keri J. Sperry, (703) 227-0156[email protected]

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For Release: October 23, 2000

Breakthrough in Stomach Cancer Treatment Could Save Thousands of Lives

Adding radiation therapy and chemotherapy to surgery for locally advanced stomach cancer nearly doubles the patient's chance that his or her cancer will not return, a new study shows. Stomach cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the world; it is expected to kill more than 630,000 people worldwide this year.

"We have been working for the past 30 years, trying to find a treatment that is better than surgery alone," says Stephen Smalley, M.D., of Olathe Regional Oncology Center, Olathe, KS. "This study is a breakthrough for these patients," he says.

The study, of 603 patients, found that approximately 22 percent of patients treated with surgery alone were expected to be tumor free at five years, says Dr. Smalley. That compares to 42 percent of patients who received chemotherapy and radiation therapy following surgery, he says.

"We saw a benefit in overall survival as well - 50 percent survival rates for patients treated with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy versus 40 percent for those treated with surgery alone -, says Dr. Smalley.

Other studies in the past have evaluated chemotherapy following surgery versus surgery alone or more extensive surgery versus standard surgical techniques, as possible ways to improve the treatment of these patients, says Dr. Smalley. These other studies have failed to demonstrate significant benefit for therapy other than standard surgical resection, he says. "This study, conducted by several clinical trials groups in the United States and Canada, is the first large study to find a treatment combination that substantially and meaningfully improves the cure of this disease," he says. "Now that we have taken this major step forward, we will hopefully make much faster progress in improving the care of these patients," he says.

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