title: A phase II trial of 5-fluorouracil and high-dose leucovorin in gastric carcinoma and a phase I trial of intraperitoneal 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin.
abstract: Twenty-five patients with advanced measurable gastric carcinoma were treated with D,L-leucovorin (CF) (500 mg/m2) administered as a 2-hour infusion and FUra (600 mg/m2) iv push midinfusion. Patients were treated weekly for 6 weeks followed by a 2-week rest. Median age was 57 (range 32 to 82). Median Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status was 2 (range 0 to 4). Thirteen patients had progressed on previous combination chemotherapy that included FUra. At the time of this report, 19 patients were evaluable for response: 3 patients had partial responses, 8 had stable disease, and 8 progressed (but 3 of these received only 3 or fewer treatments before early disease-related death). Two of the responders were previously treated with FUra. Four patients were too early to evaluate. Measurable responses of greater than 50% were seen in bone, liver, lung, and an abdominal mass. Diarrhea occurred in 9 patients and FUra dose reduction was necessary in 8 of them. Other toxicities included lacrimation, rash, nausea, and mucositis. One toxic death occurred. Nine patients with gastrointestinal tumors confined primarily to the intra-abdominal space were treated with ip FUra in escalating doses (2 mM to 4 mM) in combination with D,L-CF in a 2-liter volume, either by 8 consecutive 4-hour dwells (7 patients) or once daily for 5 days (2 patients). The D,L-CF dose was 20.8 microM except for the first day of the 5-day schedule when it was 104 microM. Toxicity included leukopenia, mucositis, nausea and vomiting, skin rash, and abdominal pain. Three episodes of peritonitis resolved with antibiotics.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil