title: Epidoxorubicin and high dose leucovorin plus 5-fluorouracil in advanced gastric cancer: a phase II study.
abstract: We conducted a multicentric phase II study on advanced gastric cancer to determine the efficacy and toxicity of treatment with epidoxorubicin (EPI) plus high doses of leucovorin (LV) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Thirty-seven patients with measurable disease were enrolled into the trial and treated with EPI 75 mg/m2 on day 1 and LV 200 mg/m2 plus 5-FU 450 mg/m2 from day 1 to 3, the cycle being repeated every 3-4 weeks from a median of five cycles per patients. The response rate was 49% in 35 evaluable patients, with two complete remissions and 15 partial responses. Median response duration was 12.4 months; median survival for responding patients was 17.3 months, which was significantly longer than 8.7 months for non-responding patients. General toxicity was usually mild, myelotoxicity was moderate and there was no evidence of cardiac toxicity. These results show that EPI-LV-5-FU is an effective regimen for advanced gastric carcinoma. The efficacy of this combination should now be tested as an adjuvant therapy in resectable gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Clinica Medica IV, Day Hospital Oncologico, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Neri
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Gemelli
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pantalone
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Andreoli
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fabbroni
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valeri
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Borrelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D015251:Epirubicin; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil