Role of intervention for biliary and gastric/intestinal obstruction in gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Gastrointestinal (GI) luminal obstruction or malignant biliary obstruction (MBO) is not a rare condition in gastric cancer patients with peritoneal metastasis. The role of endoscopic or percutaneous interventions is not fully elucidated in this setting.

METHODS

A total of 123 patients with unresectable or recurrent gastric adenocarcinoma with peritoneal metastasis receiving intravenous and intraperitoneal paclitaxel combined with S-1 were retrospectively studied. Safety and efficacy of interventions for GI luminal obstruction and MBO were evaluated.

RESULTS

A total of 27 patients (22%) underwent GI luminal and/or biliary interventions; GI luminal alone in 10, biliary alone in 10 and both in seven, with a technical success rate of 100%. Clinical success rate was 65% in self-expandable metallic stents (SEMS) placement for GI luminal obstruction. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) was prognostic of clinical success in GI luminal stenting (100% in PS of 1 vs 14% in PS of 2-3, P < 0.001). Biliary drainage (endoscopic SEMS placement in four and percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage in 12) relieved obstructive jaundice in 94%. Six complications were observed: four after GI luminal stenting (two occlusion and one aspiration pneumonia) and two after biliary stenting (one cholangitis and one cholecystitis). Median survival after the initial intervention was 5.7 months. PS at interventions was prognostic of survival after interventions (12.3 months in PS of 1 vs 2.2 months in PS of 2 or 3, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Endoscopic or percutaneous interventions for GI luminal obstruction or MBO were feasible and effective in gastric cancer patients with peritoneal dissemination receiving combination chemotherapy.