title: Combination chemotherapy of 5-fluorouracil, epidoxorubicin and mitomycin C in the palliative treatment of locally advanced and/or metastatic adenocarcinoma of the stomach.
abstract: Thirty-seven consecutive patients with advanced and/or metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma received a combination of 5-fluorouracil 600 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, 29, 36; epidoxorubicin 75 mg/m2 i.v. on days 1, 29; mitomycin C 10 mg/m2 i.v. on day 1. This cycle was repeated every 8 weeks. Out of a total of 34 evaluable patients, 2 (5.8%) had a complete response and 7 (20.6%) had a partial response with an overall median duration of 40 weeks (range 20-128). The median survival of responding patients was not reached after a mean follow-up of 76 weeks, while that of patients with no change and progressive disease was reached at 36 and 13 weeks respectively. Treatment was generally well tolerated with hematological and gastrointestinal toxicities being the major side-effects. Despite the use of epidoxorubicin 75 mg/m2, the 26.4% (95% confidence limits 16-36%) objective response rate is not satisfactory. Evaluation of more aggressive protocols is strongly recommended within the limits of controlled trials.
authors.affiliation: Chair and Service of Chemotherapy, Institute of Pharmacology, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gebbia
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Testa
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valenza
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Latteri
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bajardi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mastrandrea
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cipolla
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pischedda
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Curto
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cannata
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010166:Palliative Care; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D015251:Epirubicin; D016685:Mitomycin; D005472:Fluorouracil