ObjectiveTo evaluate clinical effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with laparoscopic gastrectomy in treatment of local advanced gastric cancer. MethodsThe clinical data of 24 patients with local advanced gastric cancer undergoing 2 courses of FLEEOX neoadjuvant chemotherapy from July 2012 to July 2015 were analyzed. The efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy based on radiographic results was evaluated. The gastrectomy was performed on week 2 after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Patients were treated with XELOX regimen as adjuvant chemotherapy after laparoscopic gastrectomy. Results① Complete response occurred in 4 cases (16.6%), partial response in 18 cases (75.0%), stable disease in 1 case (4.2%), disease progressive in 1 case (4.2%). The total effective rate of neoadjuvant chemotherapy was 91.6% (22/24). ② The serum tumor markers CEA, CA19-9, and CA125 levels after neoadjuvant chemotherapy were significantly lower than those before neoadjuvant chemotherapy (P < 0.001) and reached normal levels. ③ Two courses of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and laparoscopic exploration were completed successfully in these 24 patients. Two patients with intraabdominal metastasis were underwent palliative gastrojejunostomy, the other 22 patients were underwent laparoscopic D2 radical gastrectomy. The operative time was (236±45) min, the intraoperative blood loss was (150±50) mL, the number of lymph node dissected was 17.4 ± 5.3, the postoperative gastrointestinal function recovery time was (3.1±0.8) d. ④ There was no death due to surgery. One case suffered anastomotic leakage, 1 case intestinal obstruction, and 1 case pulmonary infection after surgery. The postoperative complications were cured by conservative treatment. ⑤ The haematological adverse events included anemia (9 patients), leukopenia (14 patients), thrombocytopenia (8 patients), aminotransferase abnormality (5 in elevated ALT, 6 in elevated AST), the most common toxicity was nausea (19 patients), 10 patients suffered nerve toxicity. All the patients were relieved after treatment. ⑥ The patients were followed up for 4-39 months, 1 case died of cachexia as the result of extensive abdominal metastasis, 1 case died of liver failure as the result of multiple liver metastases, 1 case was death as the result of brain metastasis, 1 case was death as the result of the other cause, the other 20 patients were alive. ConclusionsThe preliminary results of limited cases in this study show that FLEEOX neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with laparoscopic gastrectomy for local advanced gastric cancer is safe and effective. It has advantages of minimal invasion and fast recovery.