BACKGROUND/AIMS: We retrospectively analyzed comparative toxicities and efficacies of chemotherapy regimens in advanced gastric cancer (AGC) patients who achieved complete response (CR) after chemotherapy. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 1,203 patients, who were pathologically diagnosed as AGC in a single center between January 2001 and October 2007. On the basis of the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, CR was evaluated with abdominal computed tomography. Toxicities were evaluated using the National Cancer Institute's common toxicity criteria before each chemotherapy cycle. RESULTS: Among the 1,203 AGC patients enrolled in this study, 568 received chemotherapy and 635 received best supportive care. The major chemotherapy regimens were 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX), docetaxel, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (DCF) and 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin and irinotecan (FOLFIRI). Among the 568 patients, 51 (9.0%) achieved CR (49 [8.6%] with FOLFOX [n=12], DCF [n=26], or FOLFIRI [n=11] and 2 [0.3%] with etoposide, leucovorin and 5-fluorouracil). For patients administered FOLFOX, DCF, and FOLFIRI, the median time to disease progression was 4 months (range, 1.8-59.5), 15 months (range, 2.9-31.2) and 10 months (range, 2.0-39.5), and the median survival times were 48 months (range, 5.9-74.0), 37 months (range, 14.0-86.0), and 30 months (range, 6.0-50.0), respectively. Grades 3-4 mucositis occurred mostly in patients administered DCF (n=8, 30.8%). Grades 3-4 leucopenia were observed in 1 (8.3%), 11 (42.3%), and 4 (36.4%) patients administered FOLFOX, DCF and FOLFIRI, respectively. No statistically significant differences were observed in the 3 regimens. CONCLUSIONS: All 3 regimens (FOLFOX, DCF and FOLFIRI) were active and tolerable. Their efficacies and toxicities were not significantly different.
Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Agents/*therapeutic use/toxicity ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use/toxicity ; Camptothecin/analogs & derivatives/therapeutic use/toxicity ; Cisplatin/therapeutic use/toxicity ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Fluorouracil/therapeutic use/toxicity ; Humans ; Leucovorin/therapeutic use/toxicity ; Leukopenia/etiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mucositis/etiology ; Nausea/etiology ; Neoplasm Staging ; Organoplatinum Compounds/therapeutic use/toxicity ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms/*drug therapy/mortality ; Survival Rate ; Taxoids/therapeutic use/toxicity ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vomiting/etiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of orotate phosphoribosyltransferase (OPRT) in colorectal carcinoma and analyze its correlations with the toxicities of chemotherapy.

METHODSThe expression of OPRT mRNA was detected using RT-PCR in colorectal carcinoma tissues and paired adjacent normal tissues from 58 patients receiving FOLFOX6 regimen chemotherapy. The toxicities of the chemotherapy were recorded, and the correlations between OPRT mRNA expression and the toxicities were analyzed.

RESULTSOPRT mRNA expression was significantly higher in the tumor tissues than in the corresponding normal tissues (P=0.001), but OPRT expression in the tumor tissues was not correlated with the toxicities of the chemotherapy (P>0.05). OPRT level in the normal tissues showed a significant positive correlation with the occurrence of diarrhea in these cases (P=0.013).

CONCLUSIONOPRT expression in colorectal carcinoma tissues is not correlated with the toxicities of 5-FU-based regimen, but OPRT expression in the normal tissues can help predict the toxicities associated with 5-FU.

Adult ; Aged ; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic ; therapeutic use ; toxicity ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Fluorouracil ; therapeutic use ; toxicity ; Humans ; Intestinal Mucosa ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Orotate Phosphoribosyltransferase ; metabolism