Clinical analysis of sustained-release 5-fluorouracil implants during surgery for advanced gastric cancer

The study aims to retrospectively analyze the long-term survival rate, clinical efficacy, and safety of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) implants in advanced gastric cancer (AGC). Retrospective analysis was performed in 51 AGC patients who underwent radical gastrectomy (RG) at First People's Hospital in Wuyi County from December 2008 to May 2013. In all, 28 patients who received sustained-release 5-FU implants during the surgery were included in the case group, and 23 patients who did not receive sustained-release 5-FU implants during surgery were included in the control group. The SPSS25.0 software was used for statistical analysis and the comparison of surgical indicators was described by mean ± standard deviation, with an independent t-test. Complications and survival rates were tested by chi-square test. Factors influencing survival were analyzed by COX regression analysis. The difference between the two groups in the 8–10-year survival rate was statistically significant ( P < 0.05). The invasion depths at T3 and T4 were significant risk factors for survival ( P < 0.05). Survival time analysis showed that the survival duration in the case group (96.26 ± 13.55 months) was higher than that in the control group (60.21 ± 10.90 months), and there was marginal significance in the survival functions between groups ( P = 0.081). The mortality rate due to tumor recurrence or metastasis in the case group (21.4%) was significantly lower than that in the control group (56.5%) (P = 0.010). Implantation of 5-FU during D2 RG for AGC can dramatically improve the 8–10-year overall survival rate of patients and decrease the mortality rate due to tumor recurrence or metastasis. The operation will increase risk of postoperative incision infection that may lead to decrease of short-term survival rate. At present, there are still 12 surviving patients in the case group and 4 in the control group.