A Case of Intensive Therapy Obtained a Favorable Quality of Life for Advanced Gastric Cancer With Distant Metastasis

Abstract

Chemotherapy administered to a case of non-resectable advanced gastric cancer with esophageal invasion and bone metastasis was found to be remarkably effective over two years and 4 months. For imaging investigation, the efficacy of the chemotherapy was judged to be a partial response (PR), Furthermore, DNA histograms prepared by flow cytometry as a diagnostic test for malignancy of cancer revealed changes in the primary lesion from an aneuploidy pattern to a diploidy pattern concomitant with the administration of chemotherapy. Since non-phasic metastasis to the cerebellum and the adrenals were detected subsequently, intensive therapy consisting of radical gastric resection, left adrenal resection and deep cerebellur nucleus resection combined with radiotherapy, was conducted with the objective of prolonging the survival of the patient. The total course extended for about 4 years and considering the stage of advanced cancer, we believe that a favorable quality of life (QOL) was achieved based on the Performance status (P. S) level, maintenance of a satisfactory level of meal consumption, continuation of employment at times other than hospital admission and a home-residence rate of 72.3 per cent.