Impact of adjuvant chemotherapy in the long-term outcome of patients with resected gastric cancer

Background and Objectives We analyzed in a retrospective analysis whether adjuvant chemotherapy with mitomycin (MMC) alone or with Tegafur (TG) is associated with long‐term survival benefit in resected gastric cancer. Other prognostic factors are compared. Methods From 1977 to 1998, 314 consecutive totally resected gastric adenocarcinoma patients have been included in a survival study. In 151 patients no adjuvant therapy was given. In 163 patients, four courses of adjuvant chemotherapy was given, 109 of them with MMC, 10–20 mg/m2 i.v. every 6 weeks and the other 54 with MMC plus TG, 500 mg/m2 p.o. day for 42 consecutive days. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were performed. Results Survival benefit was seen in patients who had received adjuvant chemotherapy compared with the controls (52% vs. 30% alive at the end of the study, relative risk = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.33–0.62, P