[Response in a case of inoperable bile duct cancer treated by combined chemotherapy of S-1 and gemcitabine].

A 60-year-old male patient was diagnosed as bile duct cancer with left neck and abdominal para-aortic lymph node metastasis. He was treated by combined chemotherapy of S-1 and gemcitabine(GEM). S-1 (120 mg/day) was administered 14 days followed by 14 days rest as one course. GEM (1,000 mg/m2) was administered at 8 and 15 days after the start of S-1. Combined therapy could be continued, though S-1 and GEM were reduced for neutropemia. After 5 courses of treatment, CT and MRCP revealed a partial response. S-1/GEM combined therapy was effective for inoperable biliary tract carcinoma.

[A case of advanced gastric cancer successfully treated by combination therapy of S-1 and docetaxel].

A 70-year-old man with gastric cancer of Borrmann type 3, liver metastases and peritoneal dissemination was treated by combination therapy of S-1 and docetaxel (DOC). He received DOC intravenously at 40 mg/m(2) on day 1 and S-1 orally at 100 mg/body on day 1 to 14, repeated every 28 days. After 2 courses of treatment, a CT scan revealed improvement of the gastric wall thickness, the eminent decrease of the peritoneal fluid and the reduction of the liver metastasis. After 3 courses of treatment, the primary lesion was remarkably improved on endoscopic examination, and the tumor marker normalized after 4 courses of treatment. Toxicities included leukocytopenia (WHO grade 3), neutropenia ( grade 3), anorexia (grade 2), and nausea (grade 2). Outpatient chemotherapy was possible by reduction of dose (S-1 100--> 80 mg/body, DOC 40--> 32 mg/m2). The response was maintained on CT and endoscopic examination after 21 courses of treatment. A case of an advanced gastric cancer patient successfully treated by combination therapy of S-1 and DOC was reported.

[A case of advanced gastric cancer that responded to docetaxel with low-dose 5-FU and cisplatin combination chemotherapy after becoming chemoresistant to M-FLP].

We report a case of advanced gastric cancer that responded to docetaxel with low-dose 5-FU and cisplatin combination chemotherapy after becoming chemoresistant to M-FLP. A 52-year-old male was diagnosed with type 3 gastric cancer of angulus (poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma) with left neck, Virchow, mediastinal and abdominal lymph nodes metastases. The patient was treated with 5 courses of M-FLP (MTX + 5-FU + LV + CDDP), and the effect of this therapy was PR, but the tumor was chemoresistant to the sixth course of this therapy. After 7 courses of M-FLP, docetaxel (TXT) with low-dose FP (5-FU + CDDP) was administered to the patient as second-line chemotherapy. After 2 courses of TXT with low-dose FP, the gastric cancer and metastatic lymph nodes were remarkably reduced and the effect of this therapy was PR. The toxic events were anemia (grade 2) and leukopenia (grade 3), which were treated with G-CSF. CDDP and 5-FU based regimens are considered as the first-line chemotherapy for metastatic advanced gastric cancer in Japan; however, a second-line chemotherapy has not been established. As in this case, a TXT based regimen is effective and well tolerated therapy as a second-line chemotherapy for metastatic gastric cancer after prior exposure to CDDP and 5-FU.

[Helicobacter pylori infection in gastric remnant cancer after gastrectomy].

Patients who have undergone distal gastrectomy for peptic ulcer are at higher risk of developing gastric remnant cancer, and chronic bile reflux is believed to increase the risk of cancer in remnant stomach. In remnant stomach, carcinogenesis may be prevented by selecting the anastomosis method with a few reflux of intestinal juice including a bile acid. How Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) infection participate in stomal gastritis and gastric remnant cancer, same as early gastric cancer in the intact stomach, is attended. H. pylori positive rate of remnant stomach is different by examination method and a report, but its rate is decreased every year after gastrectomy and in particular low in Billroth-II(B-II) anastomosis. B-II anastomosis is followed by a significantly lower rate than B-1. This may reflect the role of bile reflux because bile reflux interferes with colonization by H. pylori. Gastric cancer excision usual increase complicates gastric remnant stomach and H. pylori infection, but while H. pylori infection lasts after gastrectomy for gastric cancer, cell proliferation increase in remnant stomach. In remnant stomach after gastrectomy for gastric cancer, while H. pylori infection continues, H. pylori infection may cause remnant gastritis and a second cancer of remnant stomach. H. pylori infection and bile reflux seem to have a synergistic effect on cell proliferation in remnant stomach and may explain the increased risk of gastric remnant cancer. The cancer-causing dominant role might changed from H. pylori infection predominance to bile reflux every year after gastrectomy. Furthermore, a prophylactic effect to carcinogenesis by H. pylori eradication therapy is expected. Eradication of H. pylori after gastrectomy for gastric cancer has been recommended.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in advanced gastric cancer with non-curative factors: a Phase II study with 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and cisplatin.

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has recently received increasing attention in an attempt to increase the rate of complete tumor resections, reduce systemic metastases, and prolong survival in patients with advanced gastric cancer.METHODS: Since 1993, 21 patients with unresectable or non-curative resectable gastric cancer received NAC, consisting of 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and cisplatin (FLP) with at least two cycles before surgery.RESULTS: All except 2 patients underwent surgical treatment, and resection was performed in 18 (85.7%). There were no deaths and no major morbidity following operation. There was no complete response (CR), but 12 patients (57.1%) had a partial response (PR), the response rate was 47.6% for the primary region, 64.7% for abdominal para-aortic (No.16) lymph node metastasis, 40.0% for liver metastasis, and 11.1% for peritoneal dissemination. One-year survival of the 21 patients was 40.5%, and median survival time (MST) was 322 days. MST in the responders was 571 days, and that in non-responders was 199 days ( P < 0.01). MST was 835 days in patients who underwent curative resection and 310 days in those who underwent non-curative surgery ( P < 0.01). There was no grade 4 toxicity, but grade 3 leukopenia occurred in 4 patients (19.0%), grade 3 anemia occurred in 3 patients (14.3%), and grade 3 stomatitis in 2 patients (9.5%). There were no serious renal disorders and no treatment-related death.CONCLUSIONS: The combination of FLP for NAC was feasible and useful for tumor reduction, especially for No.16 lymph node metastasis. There was a survival benefit in patients whose tumor had PR or who had had curative resection. We should confirm the effect and survival benefit of FLP for NAC by a prospectively randomized clinical controlled study.