title: Biweekly Docetaxel and S-1 combination chemotherapy as first-line treatment for elderly patients with advanced gastric cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study assessed the toxicity and activity of biweekly docetaxel and S-1 combination therapy in elderly patients with advanced gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  One-hundred and thirteen patients were enrolled: 35 were 75 years old or more. The objective response rate, toxicity, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dose reduction was significantly frequent in the elderly group (24/35 versus 25/78, p<0.001). The overall response rate was 54.9%. Out of these, 18 (15.9%) underwent gastrectomy (13 R0 gastrectomy). The median OS was 17.3 months and the median PFS was 8.0 months. Neutropenia was the most frequently observed hematological toxicity at grade 3 and 4 (34.5%), followed by leukopenia (24.8%). Most non-hematological toxicities were of grade 1 or 2. There were no significant differences in overall response rate, median OS, median PFS, or toxicities between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This combination offers favourable survival benefits with controllable tolerance for therapy of AGC in the elderly.
authors: Department of Surgery, Gastroenterological Center, Yokohama City University, 4-57 Urafune-cho, Minami-ku, Yokohama, 232-0024, Japan. s0714@med.yokohama-cu.ac.jp
authors: Chikara
authors: C
authors: Kunisaki
authors: Masazumi
authors: M
authors: Takahashi
authors: Hidetaka A
authors: HA
authors: Ono
authors: Shinichi
authors: S
authors: Hasegawa
authors: Kazuhito
authors: K
authors: Tsuchida
authors: Takashi
authors: T
authors: Oshima
authors: Mitsuyoshi
authors: M
authors: Ota
authors: Tadao
authors: T
authors: Fukushima
authors: Motohiko
authors: M
authors: Tokuhisa
authors: Yusuke
authors: Y
authors: Izumisawa
authors: Ryo
authors: R
authors: Takagawa
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Kimura
authors: Takashi
authors: T
authors: Kosaka
authors: Hirochika
authors: H
authors: Makino
authors: Hirotoshi
authors: H
authors: Akiyama
authors: Itaru
authors: I
authors: Endo
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010094:Oxonic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005641:Tegafur / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D004338:Drug Combinations; D043823:Taxoids; C079198:S 1 (combination); D005641:Tegafur; D000077143:Docetaxel; D010094:Oxonic Acid