Lobaplatin in Prophylactic Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy for Advanced Gastric Cancer: Safety and Efficacy Profiles

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of lobaplatin in prophylactic hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for advanced gastric cancer. METHODS: Advanced gastric cancer patients who underwent radical gastric resection and/or prophylactic HIPEC were systematically reviewed in our department from January 2016 to June 2017. All enrolled patients were grouped in either HIPEC or non-HIPEC groups. Clinical data were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 129 patients were enrolled with 61 cases in the HIPEC group and 68 in the non-HIPEC group. The two groups were well balanced in terms of clinical characteristics. In patients of the HIPEC group, three suffered leakage from the duodenal stump or anastomosis, one suffered abnormal bleeding and two were found to have abnormal routine blood tests; no significant difference in adverse events between groups, however, was noted (p > 0.05) and most patients recovered uneventfully. During follow-up, peritoneal recurrence was significantly less among HIPEC patients (p = 0.029), with only three suffering peritoneal recurrence, as compared to 12 non-HIPEC patients. In addition, the estimated illness-specific 3-year disease-free survival rate was significantly higher in the HIPEC group as compared to the non-HIPEC group (89.4% vs.73.9%; p = 0.031). CONCLUSION: Lobaplatin in prophylactic HIPEC is safe for advanced gastric cancer patients after treatment by radical resection and can effectively improve illness-specific 3-year disease-free survival.