title: Subsets of patients with advanced gastric cancer responding to second-line chemotherapy with docetaxel-cisplatin.
abstract: The role of docetaxel in combination with cisplatin in the management of gastric cancer resistant to first-line chemotherapy has not yet been defined. This multicenter prospective phase II study evaluated the activity and toxicity of the docetaxel-cisplatin combination in gastric cancer patients, whose tumors were primarily resistant to first-line chemotherapy or had tumor recurrence after chemotherapy. Treatment consisted of docetaxel 70 mg/m2 i.v. followed by cisplatin 70 mg/m2 both administered on day one, every three weeks. Thirty-two patients were enrolled in the study. The median age was 60 years and the median performance status (ECOG) was 1. Six (19%) patients had tumor progression during adjuvant chemotherapy, 19 (59%) had tumor recurrence after primary chemotherapy and 7 (22%) had tumor progressing while on first-line chemotherapy. Twenty (62%) patients had received non-platinum agents as first-line chemotherapy, while the rest had received the so-called "new generation" regimen that contained cisplatin. Among 32 patients evaluable for response, there were 5 (16%) (CI 95%-8%-35%) partial responses, all in patients that had received non-platinum agents as first-line chemotherapy. Stable disease was recorded in 8 (25%) and progressive disease in 19 (59%) patients. The median response duration was 4 (range 3-6) months, the median time to progression was 5 (range 3-6) months, the median survival after second-line chemotherapy was 6 (range 2-24) months and the median survival after first-line chemotherapy was 12 (range 4-36) months. Myelotoxicity was the main toxicity with grade 3-4 neutropenia occurring in 19 (59%) of the patients and febrile neutropenia in 4 (12%) patients. G-CSF support was given to 25 (78%) patients. Grade 3-4 thrombocytopenia was recorded in 4 (12%) patients. In conclusion, the combination of docetaxel plus cisplatin appears to be a moderately effective regimen with acceptable toxicity when G-CSF support is provided. According to our results, it seems that patients, whose tumors were not exposed to cisplatin during first-line chemotherapy, were more likely to respond to this regimen.
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Unit, Laikon General Hospital, Athens University School of Medicine, Athens, Greece. panoraiap@med.uoa.gr
authors.forename: Aristides
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Polyzos
authors.forename: Nikolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsavaris
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kosmas
authors.forename: Kostas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Polyzos
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giannopoulos
authors.forename: Evangelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Felekouras
authors.forename: Nikolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nikiteas
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kouraklis
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Griniatsos
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Safioleas
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stamatakos
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pikoulis
authors.forename: Antonios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papachristodoulou
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gogas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000077143:Docetaxel; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D043823:Taxoids; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D000077143:Docetaxel; D002945:Cisplatin