The successfully curative treatment of advanced gastric adenocarcinoma with multiple liver metastases and paraaortic lymph node metastases by salvage operation following the biweekly paclitaxel and S-1 combination chemotherapy: a case report

We report the case of 67-year-old man who was given a diagnosis of advanced gastric adenocarcinoma. Complete response of multiple liver and paraaortic lymph node metastases occurred in this patient after combination chemotherapy with systemic injection of paclitaxel and oral administration of novel dihydropyrimidine- dehydrogenase- inhibitory fluoropyrimidine (S-1). Following 7 courses of the biweekly paclitaxel and S-1 combination chemotherapy, the patient underwent total gastrectomy with D3 extended lymph node dissection. According to the operative findings, the tumor was curatively removed along with the liver metastases and paraaortic lymph node metastases. Biopsy of the liver was performed and the pathological diagnosis indicated no gastric adenocarcinoma cells. The pathological report showed that the lymph node metastases had completely disappeared with single exception and minute cancerous lesions were identified in the gastric mucosa and submucosa. Therefore, the histological efficacy was evaluated as Grade 2. For postoperative chemotherapy, oral S-1 administration only was chosen. However, 6 months later, biweekly paclitaxel and S-1 combination chemotherapy was administered in sequence as a second adjuvant chemotherapy because the serum level of the tumor marker was elevated. The patient is fine and has not shown any recurrence at other sites 37 months after surgery. Salvage surgery following paclitaxel and S-1 chemotherapy may be feasible for patients with advanced gastric cancer and complete regression of distant metastases. Biweekly paclitaxel and S-1 combination chemotherapy has been used safely and its administration may be continued for a long time in an outpatient clinic setting for the treatment of advanced gastric cancer.