Operative Results and Perioperative Morbidity After Intensified Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy with FLOT for Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinoma Impact of Intensified Neoadjuvant Treatment

Abstract

BackgroundPerioperative treatment is the standard of care in Western Europe for locally advanced gastric cancer (GC) and adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ). Intensified neoadjuvant treatment within the NeoFLOT trial proved to be safe and effective. Yet, the influence of such intensification with 6 cycles of FLOT in the neoadjuvant setting has not been analyzed regarding its possible impact on perioperative results. Materials and MethodsA total of 537 patients were enrolled in this study; of whom, 132 had followed a standard neoadjuvant protocol (CTx), 356 had not received any neoadjuvant treatment (NoCTx), and 49 patients had undergone an intensified chemotherapy within the NeoFLOT trial (IntCTx) with 6 cycles of FLOT (5-FU, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, docetaxel) every 2 weeks. ResultsOur results reveal no significant difference in perioperative morbidity or mortality with regard to the neoadjuvant treatment. Postoperative bleeding and hematoma occurred less frequently in the IntCTx group compared to the NoCTx and the CTx groups (2.0% vs. 5.33% vs. 5.1%). Postoperative lymph fistulas were slightly more frequent in the IntCTx group (4.1% vs. 0.3% vs. 1.6%). Patients treated within the NeoFLOT trial had a higher risk for blood transfusions (OR 5.5; 95%-KI, 2.49–12.19), whereas patients without neoadjuvant therapy had the longest ICU stay (mean 8.3 vs. CTx 4.5 vs. IntCTx 6.7 days). ConclusionThe results of the current study indicate that also an intensification of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with 6 preoperative cycles of FLOT does not significantly increase perioperative complications. Thus, prolonged neoadjuvant chemotherapy with FLOT is safe for patients with locally advanced GC or GEJ tumors.