A study of weekly paclitaxel plus 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin for patients with advanced or recurrent inoperable gastric cancer.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

To investigate the efficacy and safety of weekly paclitaxel plus 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin for patients with advanced or recurrent inoperable gastric cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

The eligibility criteria included histologically confirmed advanced gastric cancer or recurrent inoperable gastric cancer. Patients were treated with weekly paclitaxel 60 mg/m(2) on the 1st, 8th and 15th days combined with 5-fluorouracil 500 mg/m(2) by a continuous intravenous infusion from the 1st to the 5th day, and a cisplatin 75 mg/m(2) intravenous infusion for 3 days. The cycles were repeated every 4 weeks.

RESULTS:

Forty-six patients were assessed for response and toxicity. Three patients achieved complete responses, and 20 patients achieved partial responses; the overall response rate was 50.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 34.9-65.1%). With a median follow-up of 20 months, the median progression-free and overall survivals were 24 and 46 weeks, respectively, with a 1-year survival rate of 41.3% (95% CI, 27.0-56.8%). The most common hematological toxicity was myelosuppression, which included neutropenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia; the grade 3 toxicity rate was 26.1% (12/46), and only 1 patient was observed with a grade 4 neutropenia. The nonhematological toxicities included anorexia, diarrhea, nausea/vomiting, stomatitis/mucositis, alopecia, dizziness, skin rash, neurotoxicity, and infection; the grade 3 toxicity rate was 34.8% (16/46), but no grade 4 nonhematologic toxicity was observed.

CONCLUSIONS:

The combination chemotherapy consisting of weekly paclitaxel plus 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin was effective and well tolerated in patients with advanced and recurrent inoperable gastric cancers.

• Authors: Yanhong Gu, Yongqian Shu, Qiang Xu
• Journal: Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie (Biomed Pharmacother) Vol. 63 Issue 4 Pg. 293-6 (May 2009) ISSN: 1950-6007 [Electronic] France
• PMID: 18848761 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Paclitaxel
• Cisplatin
• Fluorouracil

Topics

• Adenocarcinoma (drug therapy, pathology, secondary)
• Adult
• Aged
• Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Bone Marrow Diseases (chemically induced)
• Cisplatin (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Drug Administration Schedule
• Female
• Fluorouracil (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Gastrointestinal Diseases (chemically induced)
• Humans
• Infections (etiology)
• Infusions, Intravenous
• Kaplan-Meier Estimate
• Liver Neoplasms (drug therapy, secondary)
• Lymphatic Metastasis
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Paclitaxel (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Peripheral Nervous System Diseases (chemically induced)
• Salvage Therapy
• Stomach Neoplasms (drug therapy, pathology)