title: A phase II study of 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin, and 4'-epirubicin in the treatment of advanced solid cancers.
abstract: This phase II study was designed to assess the therapeutic potential of intensive course treatment with three anticancer agents: 50 mg of cisplatin on day 1, 40 mg/m2 of epirubicin on day 2, and 250 mg of 5-fluorouracil on days 2 through 5. Drug courses were repeated every 2 weeks and most patients received between 4 and 6 courses. Thirty-five patients with measurable advanced solid cancers entered the study. They consisted of 16 gastric, 5 colorectal, 4 gallbladder, 3 pancreatic, 3 lung, 2 esophageal, 1 uterine, and 1 ovarian cancers. Of the 35 patients, 29 were evaluated for therapeutic effect of the regimen, and the overall response rate was 31.0% (5 CR + 4 PR/29). A 33.3% rate of tumor regression, consisting of 2 complete responses (CR) and 3 partial responses (PR) out of 15 patients (2 CR + 3 PR/15), was seen for gastric cancers. For the other types of tumors the responses were achieved in 2 lung cancers (1 CR + 1 PR/3). 1 uterine cancer (1 CR/1), and 1 ovarian cancer (1 CR/1). The esophageal, colorectal, pancreatic, and gallbladder cancers were unresponsive to this regimen. Toxicities of the drug treatment were clinically tolerable and consisted of general malaise, nausea, vomiting, stomatitis, alopecia, and leucopenia. However, two patients died of uncontrollable metabolic acidosis after 1 and 2 courses, respectively. This intensive course treatment appears to promote the regression of gastric, lung, and gynecologic cancers.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nio
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shiraishi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsubono
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawabata
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Masai
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukumoto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nio
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sato
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D015251:Epirubicin; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil