title: Weekly paclitaxel in combination with doxifluridine for peritoneally disseminated gastric cancer with malignant ascites.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The efficacy of systemic chemotherapy for peritoneal dissemination of gastric cancer remains unclear. The efficacy of weekly paclitaxel in combination with doxifluridine (5'-DFUR) in gastric cancer patients with malignant ascites was evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with histologically confirmed gastric cancer with ascites were eligible. The treatment consisted of paclitaxel intravenously (i.v.) administered at 80 mg/m(2) on days 1, 8 and 15 every 4 weeks, and doxifluridine administered orally at 533 mg/m(2) on days 1-5 every week. The response rate for patients with ascites was determined based on the Japanese Classification of Gastric Carcinoma. Also, the concentration of paclitaxel in the ascites was measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-four patients were investigated. The response rate (RR) was 41.7%, including complete remission (CR) and partial remission (PR) in 4 and 6 patients, respectively. The concentration of paclitaxel in the ascites was maintained between 0.01 μM and 0.05 μM until 72 hours. The median overall survival (OS) was 215 days, and 1-year survival rate was 29.2%. No severe toxicity was noted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Weekly paclitaxel in combination with doxifluridine is effective for gastric cancer patients with malignant ascites with an acceptable toxicity profile.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Visceral Organ Surgery, Gunma University, Faculty of Medicine, 3-39-15 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan. takeyosi@showa.gunma-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Izumi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Takeyoshi
authors.forename: Fujio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Makita
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwazaki
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kakinuma
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohya
authors.forename: Katsunao
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakagami
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tomizawa
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Izumi
authors.forename: Isao
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanahashi
authors.forename: Junya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Norikazu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kamoshita
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawate
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sunose
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yoshinari
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okabe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001201:Ascites / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005467:Floxuridine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D012074:Remission Induction; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005467:Floxuridine; D017239:Paclitaxel; C025034:doxifluridine