Further evidence for the value of the chemosensitivity test in deciding appropriate chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer.
BACKGROUND
The chemosensitivity test using the MTT endpoint is useful in predicting chemosensitivity.


METHODS
One hundred twenty-eight patients with advanced gastric cancer were enrolled in the study, which mitomycin C (MMC), doxorubicin (DXR), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and cisplatin (DDP) were used.


RESULTS
The corresponding efficacy rates were 12.5% for MMC, 6.3% for DXR, 5.4% for 5-FU and 13.4% for DDP. The overall predictive accuracy was 78% in the patients with measurable lesions. Among the patients without measurable lesions, 21 were treated with a curative operation, and 33 with a non-curative operation. In those patients undergoing curative surgery, the "adapted" group detected by MTT assay survived longer than "non-adapted" cases (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The present study provides further evidence that the chemosensitivity test may be useful for evaluating appropriate chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer.
Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.
K
K
Fujita
T
T
Kubota
S W
SW
Matsuzaki
Y
Y
Otani
M
M
Watanabe
T
T
Teramoto
K
K
Kumai
M
M
Kitajima
D000368:Aged; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D016685:Mitomycin; D004317:Doxorubicin; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil