title: Capecitabine and doxorubicin combination chemotherapy as salvage therapy in pretreated advanced gastric cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity and the safety of a combination regimen of capecitabine and doxorubicin as salvage chemotherapy in advanced gastric cancer patients who had undergone one or two prior chemotherapy regimens.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients received capecitabine, 2,500 mg/m(2)/day PO for 14 days (D1-14) and doxorubicin, 30 mg/m(2) IV on day 1 every 3 weeks until disease progression. The response was evaluated according to RECIST criteria, and the toxicity was evaluated by NCI-CTC (version 2.0).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-five patients were enrolled. Twenty-six patients were treated as second-line chemotherapy and the remaining patients as third-line chemotherapy. A total of 152 cycles of chemotherapy (median 2, range 1-12) were administered. Median dose intensities of capecitabine and doxorubicin were 11,326 and 9.6 mg/m(2)/week, respectively. The overall response rate was 6.7% (95% CI, 4.1-12.5%) and the disease control rate was 46.7% (95% CI, 28.6-87.1%) according to an intent-to-treat analysis. The median progression-free survival was 11.3 weeks (95% CI, 5.6-16.7 weeks). The median overall survival was 29.1 weeks (95% CI, 18.3-39.9 weeks) with one-year survival rate of 24%. Severe (grade III/IV) hematologic and non-hematologic toxicity was uncommon and included nausea/vomiting in five (11.1%), neutropenia in two (4.4%), anemia in one (2.2%), and hand-foot syndrome in one patient (2.2%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combination of capecitabine and doxorubicin is a feasible salvage regimen in advanced pre-treated gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Cancer Metastasis Research Center, Yonsei Cancer Center, Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 134, Shinchon-Dong, Seodaemun-Ku, CPO Box #8044, Seoul, 120-752, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Joon
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Hei-Cheul
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Jeung
authors.forename: Joong Bae
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Hye Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Byoung Chul
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Sun Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Rha
authors.forename: Nae Choon
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Jae Kyung
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Roh
authors.forename: Hyun Cheol
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D020168:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069287:Capecitabine; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D020168:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000069287:Capecitabine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D005472:Fluorouracil