Combination chemotherapy with paclitaxel and oxaliplatin in 30 patients with advanced gastric cancer / 中国癌症杂志

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of combination chemotherapy with paclitaxel and oxaliplatin (two new drugs) in patients with locally advanced and(or) metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma ( M/AGC). Methods: Between May 2001 and May 2002, 30 patients (22 male and 8 female) with a median age of 58 years (range35-80) were consecutively enrolled in this study. Oxaliplatin and paclitaxel were administered as a two-hour infusion every one or two weeks, respectively, and DDP or FUDR were infused in abdominal cavity every one week. Results: Thirty patients were evaluable for activity, with 2 complete and 17 partial responses, objective response rate( RR): 63% ( 95% CI: 46% -80%). Twenty-three of thirty patients (77%) experienced WHO grade Ⅰ-Ⅳ bone marrow suppression, which was the most common and serious toxicity. WHO Grade Ⅰ-Ⅲ side effect ( non-hematological toxicity) of gastrointestinal tract, liver, peripheral neuropathy, kidney , mucositis and heart occurred in 40%, 30%, 13%, 10%, 10% and 7% of patients, respectively. No patients withdrew because of treatment-related toxicity. Conclusions: Our data suggest that the combination of paclitaxel and oxaliplatin has promising therapeutic activity in patients with advanced gastric cancer. This regimen shows good efficacy and an acceptable safety profile in M/AGC patients, and may prove to be a suitable alternative regimen in this indication, especially for the patients with bad function of the heart , liver and kidney or old, physically weak patients.