Effect of Epirubicin, Cisplatin, oral UFT, and Leucovorin Combination Chemotherapy in Advanced Stomach Cancer.
- Author:
So Young YOON
1
;
Jae Hong SEO
;
Chul Won CHOI
;
Byung Soo KIM
;
Young Jae MOK
;
Chong Suk KIM
;
Hoon Jai CHUN
;
Jin Hai HYUN
;
Yeul Hong KIM
;
Jun Suk KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Advanced stomach cancer;
Epirubicin;
Cisplatin;
UFT;
Leucovorin;
Chemotherapy
- MeSH:
Administration, Oral;
Appointments and Schedules;
Catheters;
Cisplatin*;
Diarrhea;
Disease Progression;
Drug Therapy;
Drug Therapy, Combination*;
Epirubicin*;
Fluorouracil;
Humans;
Infusion Pumps;
Injections, Intravenous;
Leucovorin*;
Leukopenia;
Outpatients;
Stomach Neoplasms*;
Stomach*;
Stomatitis;
Vomiting;
World Health Organization
- From:Korean Journal of Medicine
1999;56(6):730-737
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: UFT plus leucovorin treatment had favorable activity and tolerable toxicity in patients with advanced stomach cancer. Recently, high response rates have been reported in patients with advanced stomach cancer with a schedule of epirubicin, cisplatin, and protracted infusion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The advantage of long term oral administration of UFT is that this treatment might be used to mimic protracted infusions of 5-FU. Instead of inconvenience of infusion pump and intravenous catheter for protracted infusion of 5-FU, we administered UFT plus leucovorin in this treatment. METHODS: Thirty-seven patients with locally advanced or metastatic stomach cancer received epirubicin, cisplatin, oral UFT plus leucovorin. Epirubicin 50 mg/m2 and cisplatin 60 mg/m2 were administered on day 1 by intravenous injection. UFT 360 mg/m2/day in conjunction with leucovorin administered at 25 mg/m2/day per os in divided daily doses for 21 days followed by a 7-day rest period. Courses were repeated every 4 weeks. The median age of the patients was 55 years with a median World Health Organization (WHO) performance status of 1. Patients received a median of four courses of treatment (range, 2 to 10). RESULTS: Among 37 evaluable patients, two patients achieved complete response, and eighteen had partial responses, for an overall response rate of 54% (95% confidence interval; 39% to 70%). Stable disease was reported in 12 patients (32.5%) and another 5 (13.5%) showed disease progression. The median duration of survival was 10 months (range, 2 to 15+). The main toxicity was nausea/vomiting, leukopenia, diarrhea and oral mucositis. Significant toxicity (WHO grade 3 or 4) included leukopenia in fourteen patients (39.8%), nausea/ vomiting in eleven (29.7%), oral mucositis in five (13.5%), and diarrhea in four (10.8%) patients. CONCLUSION: We conclude that epirubicin, cisplatin, oral UFT plus leucovorin, a convenient out-patient regimen, has a significant activity in patients with stomach cancer and has tolerable toxicities.
