Adjuvant chemotherapy may have no significant survival benefit in older patients with stage II/III gastric cancer: a multicenter retrospective study

Abstract Aim Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy is known to enhance cure rates and is thus recommended for stages pII to pIII. However, specific guidelines for such treatment in elderly gastric cancer (GC) patients are currently lacking. This study examines the impact of adjuvant chemotherapy on th...

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Main Authors: Zheng-Zheng Shen, En-Ze Li, Ruo-Lan Zhang, Meng-Xuan Cao, Yan-Qiang Zhang, Qing Yang, Can Hu, Si-Wei Pan, Zhi-Yuan Xu, Zai-Sheng Ye, Jing-Yang He
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Springer 2025-05-01
Series:Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-025-06230-w
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author Zheng-Zheng Shen
En-Ze Li
Ruo-Lan Zhang
Meng-Xuan Cao
Yan-Qiang Zhang
Qing Yang
Can Hu
Si-Wei Pan
Zhi-Yuan Xu
Zai-Sheng Ye
Jing-Yang He
author_facet Zheng-Zheng Shen
En-Ze Li
Ruo-Lan Zhang
Meng-Xuan Cao
Yan-Qiang Zhang
Qing Yang
Can Hu
Si-Wei Pan
Zhi-Yuan Xu
Zai-Sheng Ye
Jing-Yang He
author_sort Zheng-Zheng Shen
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Aim Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy is known to enhance cure rates and is thus recommended for stages pII to pIII. However, specific guidelines for such treatment in elderly gastric cancer (GC) patients are currently lacking. This study examines the impact of adjuvant chemotherapy on the postoperative survival of these patients. Methods We reviewed a total of 7749 patients with GC who underwent radical gastrectomy at Zhejiang Cancer Hospital and Fujian Cancer Hospital from January 2007 to December 2019. We conducted univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses to investigate the impact of clinicopathological factors on overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in these patients. Additionally, we created a meta-analysis forest plot and employed propensity score matching (PSM) to mitigate confounding bias. Results Age and adjuvant chemotherapy were independent risk factors for OS and CSS. Stratified analysis based on chemotherapy use revealed a statistically significant difference in OS and CSS between younger patients who did and did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy. In contrast, no significant differences in OS and CSS were observed between older patients with or without adjuvant chemotherapy. These findings remained consistent after propensity score matching (PSM). Conclusions Age and adjuvant chemotherapy are independent risk factors for OS and CSS in patients with stage II/III GC; for patients with stage II/III gastric cancer aged ≥ 75 years, shared decision-making should be made taking into account functional status and comorbidities, rather than conventional adjuvant chemotherapy.
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spelling doaj-art-b6ecdb8a92834cb1b15bd2af012562f92025-08-20T02:39:23ZengSpringerJournal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology1432-13352025-05-01151511410.1007/s00432-025-06230-wAdjuvant chemotherapy may have no significant survival benefit in older patients with stage II/III gastric cancer: a multicenter retrospective studyZheng-Zheng Shen0En-Ze Li1Ruo-Lan Zhang2Meng-Xuan Cao3Yan-Qiang Zhang4Qing Yang5Can Hu6Si-Wei Pan7Zhi-Yuan Xu8Zai-Sheng Ye9Jing-Yang He10Department of Radiation Physics, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of SciencesDepartment of Gastric Surgery, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of SciencesDepartment of Gastric Surgery, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of SciencesDepartment of Gastric Surgery, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of SciencesDepartment of Gastric Surgery, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of SciencesDepartment of Gastric Surgery, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of SciencesDepartment of Gastric Surgery, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of SciencesDepartment of Gastric Surgery, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of SciencesDepartment of Gastric Surgery, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of SciencesDepartment of Gastric Surgery, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital (Fujian Branch of Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center)Department of Gastric Surgery, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of SciencesAbstract Aim Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy is known to enhance cure rates and is thus recommended for stages pII to pIII. However, specific guidelines for such treatment in elderly gastric cancer (GC) patients are currently lacking. This study examines the impact of adjuvant chemotherapy on the postoperative survival of these patients. Methods We reviewed a total of 7749 patients with GC who underwent radical gastrectomy at Zhejiang Cancer Hospital and Fujian Cancer Hospital from January 2007 to December 2019. We conducted univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses to investigate the impact of clinicopathological factors on overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in these patients. Additionally, we created a meta-analysis forest plot and employed propensity score matching (PSM) to mitigate confounding bias. Results Age and adjuvant chemotherapy were independent risk factors for OS and CSS. Stratified analysis based on chemotherapy use revealed a statistically significant difference in OS and CSS between younger patients who did and did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy. In contrast, no significant differences in OS and CSS were observed between older patients with or without adjuvant chemotherapy. These findings remained consistent after propensity score matching (PSM). Conclusions Age and adjuvant chemotherapy are independent risk factors for OS and CSS in patients with stage II/III GC; for patients with stage II/III gastric cancer aged ≥ 75 years, shared decision-making should be made taking into account functional status and comorbidities, rather than conventional adjuvant chemotherapy.https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-025-06230-wGastric cancerAdjuvant chemotherapyElderly patients
spellingShingle Zheng-Zheng Shen
En-Ze Li
Ruo-Lan Zhang
Meng-Xuan Cao
Yan-Qiang Zhang
Qing Yang
Can Hu
Si-Wei Pan
Zhi-Yuan Xu
Zai-Sheng Ye
Jing-Yang He
Adjuvant chemotherapy may have no significant survival benefit in older patients with stage II/III gastric cancer: a multicenter retrospective study
Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology
Gastric cancer
Adjuvant chemotherapy
Elderly patients
title Adjuvant chemotherapy may have no significant survival benefit in older patients with stage II/III gastric cancer: a multicenter retrospective study
title_full Adjuvant chemotherapy may have no significant survival benefit in older patients with stage II/III gastric cancer: a multicenter retrospective study
title_fullStr Adjuvant chemotherapy may have no significant survival benefit in older patients with stage II/III gastric cancer: a multicenter retrospective study
title_full_unstemmed Adjuvant chemotherapy may have no significant survival benefit in older patients with stage II/III gastric cancer: a multicenter retrospective study
title_short Adjuvant chemotherapy may have no significant survival benefit in older patients with stage II/III gastric cancer: a multicenter retrospective study
title_sort adjuvant chemotherapy may have no significant survival benefit in older patients with stage ii iii gastric cancer a multicenter retrospective study
topic Gastric cancer
Adjuvant chemotherapy
Elderly patients
url https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-025-06230-w
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