title: [Preliminary clinical comparison of HLF and ELF regimen in the treatment of advanced gastric carcinoma in middle-aged and elderly patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the therapeutic effects and toxicity of HLF (hydroxycamptothecin HCPT/leucovorin LV/fluorouracil 5-Fu) regimen and ELF (etoposide VP-16/LV/5-Fu) regimen in middle-aged and elderly patients with advanced gastric carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  A group of twenty-five cases were treated with HLF regimen, and the other group of 23 cases were treated with ELF regimen.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 25 cases treated with HLF regimen, there was no complete remission (CR), but there were 12 partial response (PR), 11 no response (NC), and 2 had progressive disease (PD). The response rate (RR) was 48.0%. Of the 23 patients treated with ELF regimen, there was no CR, there were 9 PR, 11 NC, and 3 PD. The RR was 39.1% (P > 0.05). The main toxicity was myelosuppression and stomatocace. Grade III-IV stomatocace in HLF regimen group (68.0%) was more commonly seen than that in ELF regimen group (39.1%, P < 0.05). There was no cardiac or renal toxicity observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HLF regimen is promising for treatment of advanced gastric carcinoma in middle-aged and elderly patients with the merits of low toxicity affecting heart, kidney and bladder except stomatocace, which is worthy of further clinical trial.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Medicine, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen Medical University, Guangzhou 510120, China.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002166:Camptothecin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D005047:Etoposide; C120029:homocamptothecin; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil; D002166:Camptothecin