[Results of the combined treatment of cancer of the cardial region of the stomach (a cooperative, randomized study)].

Immediate and long-term results of treatment of cancer of the proximal part of the stomach were compared in two groups of patients: (1) surgery and (2) combined treatment (preoperative Co-60 teletherapy + radical surgery). The patients were randomly assigned to the treatment schedules. The study was cooperative. Study group 1 included 128 patients, group 2-106. Radiotherapy was accompanied by mild complications; it neither adversely affected the terms of surgery nor resulted in an increased postoperative complication rate. Combination treatment was followed by a significant increase in 3-year survival matched by a decrease in relapse rate as well as metastasis development at a later stage, as compared with surgery alone. Application of standard preoperative irradiation procedures (NSD-20 Gy) led to degree 1-2 radiation pathomorphosis of tumor. Further search for higher effectiveness of the radiation component in causing injury to tumor should be continued.