Efficacy of sequential methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil (MTX/5FU) in improving oral intake in patients with advanced gastric cancer with severe peritoneal dissemination.
BACKGROUND
Although peritoneal dissemination of gastric cancer is common and often causes deterioration of the patient's condition and quality of life (QOL), these patients are usually excluded from clinical trials. We retrospectively investigated the clinical benefit and toxicity of sequential methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil (MTX/5FU) therapy for patients with peritoneal dissemination.


METHODS
The subjects were 31 patients with severe peritoneal dissemination of gastric cancer who were treated with MTX/5FU. The treatment schedule comprised weekly administration of MTX (100 mg/m(2)) followed by 5FU (600 mg/m(2)). Leucovorin (10 mg/m(2)) was administered six times, every 6 h, starting 24 h after MTX administration.


RESULTS
The median survival time was 255 days, and the median progression-free survival was 127 days. Of the 21 patients with measurable lesions, 4 (19%) patients achieved a partial response. Ascites volume decreased markedly in 14 (54%) of the 26 patients with ascites. Seventeen patients had adequate oral intake, but the other 14 patients had required nutritional support before treatment. The median dripinfusion free survival was 100 days in the former 17 patients, and oral intake improved in 3 (21%) of the latter 14 patients. Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia was observed in 26% of the patients and anemia was observed in 45%. The grade 3 nonhematological toxicities were vomiting (6%) and fatigue (10%). Early death, within 30 days of the last administration of MTX/5FU, occurred due to disease progression in 2 patients, but there were no treatment-related deaths.


CONCLUSIONS
MTX/5FU chemotherapy may be effective in treating peritoneal dissemination of gastric cancer and might improve the patient's condition in terms of reducing ascites and improving oral intake.
Imazawa
Masako
M
Division of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Shizuoka Cancer Center, 1007 Shimonagakubo, Nagaizumi-cho, Shizuoka, 411-8777, Japan.
Kojima
Takashi
T
Boku
Narikazu
N
Onozawa
Yusuke
Y
Hironaka
Shuichi
S
Fukutomi
Akira
A
Yasui
Hirofumi
H
Yamazaki
Kentaro
K
Taku
Keisei
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001201:Ascites / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil; D008727:Methotrexate