Efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy with cytokine-induced killer cells for gastric cancer after d2 gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: It remains a challenge to prevent the local recurrence or distant metastasis of gastric carcinoma after D2 gastrectomy. Cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells have shown promising activity against solid tumors in vitro and in vivo. We investigated the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy combined with autologous CIK therapy after D2 gastrectomy compared with adjuvant chemotherapy alone after D2 gastrectomy in patients with stage II-III gastric cancer.

METHODS: From January 2009 to December 2011, 226 patients with stage II-III gastric cancer who had had curative D2 gastrectomy were enrolled. Eighty-nine patients (CIK group) received adjuvant chemotherapy combining with autologous CIK therapy and 137 patients (control group) received adjuvant chemotherapy alone. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated.

RESULTS: Patients in the CIK group had longer DFS and OS than patients in the control group (DFS 41.0 months vs. 32.0 months, OS 45.0 months vs. 44.0 months, by log-rank test P = 0.006 and P = 0.028, respectively). In subgroup analysis, no significant differences in DFS and OS were observed between the two groups for the patients with stages II disease. Patients with stage III disease in the CIK group had longer median DFS and OS than patients in the control group (P = 0.031 and P = 0.038, respectively). In multivariate analysis, the stage and the interaction of stage and CIK therapy were independent prognostic factors for DFS and OS.

CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that adjuvant chemotherapy combined with autologous CIK therapy can improve prognosis for gastric carcinoma patients after D2 gastrectomy, especially for the patients with stage III disease.