Management of gastric cancer

The book documents the status of the art of the actual knowledge of multiple aspects related to gastric cancer. Although it has been edited by a surgeon, it takes inside the awareness that surgery is only one ring of the complex chain of the different items of this disease.
The first parts of the text are facing epidemiology, molecular biology, genetics and the relationships with Helicobacter pylori infection.
Then, after evaluating specific pathological aspects and problems related with modern endoscopy and endo-ultrasonography, different methods of treatments are examined. Multimodality treatment targeted on each single patient's and tumor's features represents the actual gold standard, while genetic therapy should be considered as the future goal of research worldwide.
At the moment, improvement of early diagnosis and development of endoscopic resection techniques (EMR, ESD), early detection of responders to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in advanced cancers and preoperative detection through genomic profiling of patients with high risk of lymph node metastasis in order to modulate the extent of nodal dissection are the goals of multidisciplinary teams active in reference centers.
Indice
EPIDEMIOLOGY
Epidemiology of gastric cancer
Screening for gastric cancer
Gastric cancer etiology: contribution from molecular epidemiology
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND GENETICS
Experimental gastric cancer
Cell growth regulation in gastric cancer
Genetic and epigenetic alterations in gastric cancers
Hereditary diffuse gastric cancer
HELICOBACTER PYLORI INFECTION AND PRECANCEROUS LESIONS
Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric carcinogenesis
Precancerous gastric lesions
PATHOLOGY
Gastric cancer: pathological features
WHO and UICC classification of gastric cancer
ENDOSCOPY AND DIAGNOSIS
Endoscopic treatment of early gastric cancer
EUS for gastric cancer
SURGERY
Anatomical and lymphovascular basis of lymph node Spread
The lymph node grouping according to Japanese gastric cancer association
Tha standard D2 gastrectomy for advanced gastric Cancer
Extended surgery (D3) for advanced gastric cancer
Analysis of the European trials on D1 versus D2 gastrectomy for cancer
Surgery for cancer of gastric remnant, with particular respect to lymph node removal
Laparoscopic total gastrectomy: surgical technique
Sentinel node navigation for gastric cancer
CHEMOTHERAPY
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Molecular markers to evaluate the response to chemotherapy
Early evaluation of the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Role of preoperative chemotherapy and postoperative radio/chemotherapy in local control
Medical treatment for advanced gastric cancer
The role of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy
APPENDIX
Adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction