Capecitabine and doxorubicin combination chemotherapy as salvage therapy in pretreated advanced gastric cancer.
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.
Shin
Sang Joon
SJ
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.
Jeung
Hei-Cheul
HC
Ahn
Joong Bae
JB
Choi
Hye Jin
HJ
Cho
Byoung Chul
BC
Rha
Sun Young
SY
Yoo
Nae Choon
NC
Roh
Jae Kyung
JK
Chung
Hyun Cheol
HC
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
D020168:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000069287:Capecitabine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D005472:Fluorouracil