The effect of thermal double distilled water on gastric cancer cell line and its effect in peritoneal lavage during radical gastrectomy

Abstract

To evaluate the effect and indications of radical gastrectomy combined with peritoneal lavage with thermal double distilled water (DDW) or DDW plus chlorhexidine acetate. On the bases of the study on the killing effect of 43°C DDW on human gastric cancer cell line MGC-803 and its inhibiting effect on ascitic tumor of SY86B mouse, 500 cases of gastric cancer who underwent radical gastrectomy from January 1986 to December 1995 were divided into three groups: group A (n=198) subject to radical gastrectomy and peritoneal lavage for 10 min with 4000 ml DDW at 43°C; group B (n=89) subject to radical gastrectomy and peritoneal lavage for 4 min with 400 ml DDW plus 0.6g chlorhexidine acetate, and group C (n=213) subject to radical gastrectomy and peritoneal lavage for 4 min with 4000 ml normal saline at room temperature as control. Human gastric cancer cells MGC-803 could be completely killed by treatment of either 43°C DDW for 10 min or DDW plus 0.015 ml/L chlorhexidine acetate for 4 min. Clinical trials proved that group A and group B (called lavage group as a whole) had almost the same curative effects. The 1-year survival rate and 3-year survival rate were similar in different stages among the groups. The 5-year survival rate was 63.8% in the lavage group and 51.2% in the control group respectively. Most of the cases with good effect were at the mid-stage (II and III A stage). Radical gastrectomy combined with peritoneal lavage before closing the abdomen has satisfying effect on patients with gastric cancer at stage II and stage III A.