Comparison of combination chemotherapy with irinotecan and cisplatin regimen administered every 2 or 4 weeks in pretreated patients with unresectable or recurrent gastric cancer: retrospective analysis.
BACKGROUND
Efficacy and safety of irinotecan and cisplatin administration every 2 weeks (biweekly regimen) or 4 weeks (4-weekly regimen) in patients with pretreated unresectable or recurrent gastric cancer was retrospectively evaluated.


METHODS
Study patients comprised two cohorts: cohort 1, consisting of 31 patients received chemotherapy on a 4-weekly regimen; and cohort 2, consisting of 32 patients received chemotherapy on a biweekly regimen. In cohort 1, patients received irinotecan (70 mg/m(2)) on days 1 and 15 and cisplatin (80 mg/m(2)) on day 1 every 4 weeks; in cohort 2, patients received irinotecan (60 mg/m(2)) on day 1 and cisplatin (30 mg/m(2)) on day 1 every 2 weeks.


RESULTS
Response rates were for cohorts 1 and 2 were 26% (7/27) and 28% (7/25) in patients with measurable lesions, median progression-free survivals were 3.5 and 4.3 months, and median survival times after irinotecan and cisplatin initiation were 9.5 and 10.1 months, respectively. The incidence of grades 3 and 4 hematological toxicities in cohorts 1 and 2 were 74% and 44% for leukopenia, 81% and 53% for neutropenia, and 45% and 28% for anemia, respectively. Incidences of grades 3 and 4 nonhematological toxicities were 23% and 12% for nausea, 23% and 9% for vomiting, 19% and 12% for anorexia, and 6% and 6% for febrile neutropenia, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Irinotecan plus cisplatin chemotherapy administered on a biweekly regimen was comparable in efficacy to a 4-weekly regimen and might be more feasible than the 4-weekly regimen.
Sakamoto
Takeshi
T
Division of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Shizuoka Cancer Center, 1007 Shimonagakubo, Nagaizumi-cho, Sunto-gun, Shizuoka, 411-8777, Japan. t.sakamoto@scchr.jp
Yasui
Hirofumi
H
Boku
Narikazu
N
Onozawa
Yusuke
Y
Hironaka
Shuichi
S
Fukutomi
Akira
A
Yamazaki
Kentaro
K
Taku
Keisei
K
Machida
Nozomu
N
Todaka
Akiko
A
Tomita
Hideharu
H
Tsushima
Takahiro
T
Taniguchi
Hiroya
H
Hamauchi
Satoshi
S
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D002166:Camptothecin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077146:Irinotecan; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D000077146:Irinotecan; D002945:Cisplatin; D002166:Camptothecin