Tumor bleeding frequently occurs in inoperable gastric cancer patients. Inoperable gastric cancer usually has a large ulcer with friable tumor vessels. Acidic environment in stomach prevents adequate function of coagulation cascade and decrease clot stability. Gastric cancer bleeding may cause significant morbidity and often delays scheduled chemotherapy. National Center Center data showed that about 30% of gastric cancer patient undergoing palliative chemotherapy eventually experience significant cancer bleeding during the treatment period. Once bleeding occurs, endoscopic management is more difficult in gastric cancer patients than in patients with benign peptic ulcers, because the malignant ulcer bed has significant fibrosis. Consequently, gastric cancer patient has a high risk of rebleeding.~Proton pump inhibitor (PPI, lansoprazole for example) decrease gastric acid secretion by inhibiting H+,K+-ATPase, and subsequently stabilize blood clot. PPIs are commonly used for benign peptic ulcer or reflux esophagitis, and PPI can decrease recurrent benign ulcer bleeding or other ulcer complications. Moreover, it was reported to prevent bleeding from NSAID or aspirin induced gastric ulcer. Because PPIs are very safe, and they are even available as over-the-counter drugs in some countries. Furthermore, the drug has no interaction with major chemotherapeutic agents commonly used for gastric cancer. Moreover, the drugs are prescribed to the gastric cancer patients when tumor bleeding occurs. Although gastric cancer bleeding is not uncommon and clinically challenging problem, there has been no recommended measure to prevent cancer bleeding. Also there has been no report about the efficacy of PPIs on the gastric cancer bleeding prevention up to now.
The aim of this study is the effect of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) with respect to gastric cancer bleeding in inoperable patients.