A phase II study of paclitaxel and cisplatin as salvage therapy for patients with advanced or metastatic gastric cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the therapeutic activity and safety of paclitaxel and cisplatin combination chemotherapy in patients with advanced or metastatic gastric cancers that are unresponsive to primary chemotherapy.


METHODS
Advanced or metastatic gastric cancer patients unresponsive to first line chemotherapy were entered into this trial. The treatment regimen consisted of paclitaxel, 175 mg/m(2) by 3-hour infusion on day 1, and cisplatin, 60 mg/m(2) by 1 hour infusion on day 1, with the treatment repeated every 3 weeks.


RESULTS
37 patients were entered in this study, with 32 fully evaluable for response. 4 (13%), 13 (40%) and 15 (47%) patients achieved a partial response, stable disease and progressed, respectively. The median time to progression was 4.0 months (95% CI: 2.0 approximately 6.0 months), and the median overall survival was 12.6 months (95% CI: 5.5 approximately 19.7 months), with a 1-year survival rate of 54%. Of a total of 135 cycles of chemotherapy, grades 3 and 4 hematological toxicities were neutropenia (14%) and anemia (3%). Grade >or=2 neuropathy was observed in 6 patients (17%).


CONCLUSIONS
The combination of paclitaxel and cisplatin is an effective and tolerable salvage treatment modality for advanced gastric cancer.
Seo
Bong-Gun
BG
Department of Internal Medicine, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
Oh
Sung Yong
SY
Lee
Dong Mee
DM
Yoo
Hyun Seung
HS
Lee
Suee
S
Kim
Seong-Geun
SG
Kim
Sung-Hyun
SH
Kwon
Hyuk-Chan
HC
Kim
Hyo-Jin
HJ