title: A phase II feasibility study of weekly paclitaxel in heavily pretreated advanced gastric cancer patients with poor performance status.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the efficacy and safety of weekly paclitaxel monotherapy in previously treated patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC) and poor performance status (PS) according to the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with evaluable disease who failed at least one previous chemotherapy and had a PS of 2-3, received paclitaxel 70 mg/m(2) on days 1, 8 and 15 every 4 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median overall survival (OS) was 5.5 months (95% confidence interval, CI, 3.3-7.8) and progression-free survival was 2.1 months (95% CI, 1.2-3.0). The overall response rate was 3.8% and the disease control rate was 25.0%. Treatment-related toxicities were tolerable. OS was 7.1 (95% CI, 5.4-9.5) and 3.7 months (95% CI, 2.1-5.3) for patients with PS-ECOG 2 and 3, respectively (p < 0.001). When evaluated according to the previous treatment, OS was 5.1 (95% CI, 3.3-7.0) and 6.5 months (95% CI, 3.8-9.3) for patients receiving two and three or more lines of treatment, respectively (p = 0.815). With multivariate analysis, PS was a significant factor for OS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Survival in patients treated with weekly paclitaxel monotherapy was comparable to other second- or third-line chemotherapies for AGC, with acceptable toxicities in previously treated patients with poor PS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei Cancer Center, Cancer Metastasis Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Chong Kun
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Im
authors.forename: Sun Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Rha
authors.forename: Hei-Cheul
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Jeung
authors.forename: Jaeheon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Soo Hyeon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sung Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Noh
authors.forename: Jae Kyung
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Roh
authors.forename: Hyun Cheol
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D017239:Paclitaxel