Intra-operative radiotherapy for carcinoma of the stomach.

Intra-operative radiotherapy (IOR) was performed for the treatment of 101 patients with gastric cancer. Doses of 28 to 35 Gy with electron beams were delivered during the surgical procedure to tumour beds, high risk lymphnodes and/or remaining cancer nests after gastrectomy. Five-year survival rates were 87.2% for patients with Stage I disease, 83.5% for Stage II, 62.3% for Stage III and 14.7% for Stage IV. Compared with the data on 110 patients treated by surgery alone, IOR has yielded better results in patients with locally advanced disease. Based on these results, indications of IOR for gastric cancer were discussed.