title: A multicenter phase II study of biweekly capecitabine in combination with oxaliplatin as first-line chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced or metastatic gastric cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the safety and efficacy of biweekly capecitabine in combination with oxaliplatin in previously untreated patients with locally advanced or metastatic gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients received oral capecitabine 1,000 mg/m(2) twice daily on days 1-10 plus oxaliplatin 85 mg/m(2) as a 2-h intravenous infusion on day 1, every 2 weeks (XELOX). The primary endpoint was overall response rate. Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival, overall survival, and toxicity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From March 2007 to October 2010, 46 patients were enrolled in this phase II study. The median age was 64 years (range 32-85). A total of 391 (median 7.5, range 1-29) cycles were delivered. Among the 41 patients evaluable for tumor response, 9 showed partial response and 25 had stable disease. The overall response rates of the evaluable and intent-to-treat (ITT) populations were 22 % (95 % CI 10-42 %) and 20 % (95 % CI 9-34 %), respectively. In the ITT analysis, the progression-free survival and overall survival were 5.6 months (95 % CI 4.1-6.3 months) and 8.0 months (95 % CI 6.3-10.1 months), respectively. The most common hematological toxicities were thrombocytopenia (35 %) and leucopenia (34 %), whereas the most common non-hematological toxicities were neuropathy (35 %), fatigue (33 %), diarrhea (27 %), vomiting (26 %), and hand-foot syndrome (25 %). Major grade 3-4 toxicities were anemia (11 %), diarrhea (9 %), and hand-foot syndrome (7 %). No patient died of treatment-related toxicities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the biweekly XELOX regimen failed its primary response rate endpoint, it showed modest efficacy and an acceptable safety profile in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer.
authors: Department of Oncology Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors: Yee
authors: Y
authors: Chao
authors: Jan-Sing
authors: JS
authors: Hsieh
authors: Hsien-Tang
authors: HT
authors: Yeh
authors: Yu-Chieh
authors: YC
authors: Su
authors: Cheng-Chung
authors: CC
authors: Wu
authors: Jen-Shi
authors: JS
authors: Chen
authors: Cheng-Jeng
authors: CJ
authors: Tai
authors: Li-Yuan
authors: LY
authors: Bai
authors: Kun-Huei
authors: KH
authors: Yeh
authors: Wu-Chou
authors: WC
authors: Su
authors: Chung-Pin
authors: CP
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D000069287:Capecitabine; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000069287:Capecitabine; D005472:Fluorouracil