Pathological complete response of locally advanced gastric cancer after four courses of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with paclitaxel plus cisplatin: report of a case

We report a case of advanced gastric carcinoma treated successfully by four courses of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) with paclitaxel and cisplatin. The patient was a 43-year-old man with advanced gastric cancer, clinically diagnosed as P0H0M0CY0T3N2, which had invaded the upper body of the stomach and esophagus. He was entered into a clinical trial and received the following NAC regimen: paclitaxel 80 mg/m(2), and cisplatin 25 mg/m(2), on days 1, 8, and 15, followed by a rest on day 22, as one course. The lymph nodes had reduced in size to 59% after two courses and to 40% after four courses, with no sign of severe toxicity. Subsequently, he underwent D2 total gastrectomy with pancreatico-splenectomy. On microscopic examinations, no tumor cells were detected in the ulcer scar of the resected stomach or the regional lymph nodes. Thus, we discuss the potential of long-term NAC, especially for responders to two initial courses.