Treatment strategy for metastatic gastric cancer in Japan

Abstract

Despite recent progress in diagnostic imaging, gastric cancer (GC) is occasionally found at an advanced stage with distant metastasis. As metastatic GC is difficult to cure, the treatment strategy should be considered individually based on the physical and socioeconomic status of patients as well as on the GC symptoms. The first choice of treatment for metastatic GC is chemotherapy, and several chemotherapeutic regimens for metastatic or recurrent GC have been developed through randomized controlled trials. Ongoing clinical trials will provide novel therapeutic options for patients with metastatic GC in the near future, while individualization of treatment based on detailed molecular information, so-called precision medicine, is eagerly anticipated. In this article, we review recent publications and guidelines focusing on recent progress in the treatment of metastatic GC in Japan.

Keywords

Gastric cancer / chemotherapy / molecularly targeted drug / para-aortic lymph node metastasis / liver metastasis

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