Phase II study of paclitaxel and carboplatin in advanced gastric cancer previously treated with 5-fluorouracil and platinum.
BACKGROUND
The combination of paclitaxel and carboplatin has been used to treat patients with many types of tumor, including gastric cancer. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of this combination in advanced gastric cancer patients previously treated with 5-fluorouracil and platinum.


METHODS
Patients who had pathologically been proven to have measurable lesions were treated with paclitaxel (200 mg/m(2) for 3 h) and carboplatin [area under the concentration-time curve (AUC = 6)] on day 1 and in 21 day cycles.


RESULTS
A partial response was achieved in 10 of 45 patients [22%, 95% confidence interval (CI), 10-34]. Of the 32 patients previously treated with cisplatin, four (13%) achieved partial response, whereas, of the 13 patients previously treated with heptaplatin, six (46%) achieved partial response. In all patients, the median time to progression was 14 weeks (95% CI, 10-18), and the median overall survival was 32 weeks (95% CI, 26-38). The most common grade 3/4 adverse events were neutropenia (40% of patients) and neuropathy (2.2%). Two patients developed neutropenic fever. However, there were no treatment-related deaths.


CONCLUSIONS
Combination chemotherapy with paclitaxel and carboplatin is feasible in patients with advanced gastric cancer who were previously treated with 5-fluorouracil and platinum.
Chang
Heung Moon
HM
Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Songpa-gu, Seoul 138-736, Korea. changhm@amc.seoul.kr
Kim
Tae Won
TW
Ryu
Baek-Yeol
BY
Choi
Seong-Jun
SJ
Park
Yeon Hee
YH
Lee
Jung Shin
JS
Kim
Woo Kun
WK
Kang
Yoon-Koo
YK
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019540:Area Under Curve; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D023381:Endpoint Determination; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010984:Platinum / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
D010984:Platinum; D016190:Carboplatin; D017239:Paclitaxel; D005472:Fluorouracil