RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy for stomach cancer often includes several side effects. The primary reasons for the failure of such treatment approaches are low drug concentrations in target tissues and a short stomach residence time. OBJECTIVE: Gastroretentive controlled drug delivery systems improves the therapeutic performance of chemotherapeutic drugs following oral administration because of the longer gastric retention time. The goal of this study was to find suitable gastroretentive formulations that might be used for the localized treatment of stomach cancer. METHODS: The purpose of this study is to summarize current advances in gastro-retentive drug administration for oral chemotherapy, with a focus on floating, mucoadhesive, and swellable systems. This article also discusses the potentials and limitations of existing gastroretentive drug delivery systems used in cancer chemotherapy. RESULTS: Due to increased stomach retention and modified drug release properties, gastroretentive controlled drug delivery systems improve the therapeutic performance of anti-cancer drugs used to treat stomach cancer. CONCLUSION: Gastroretentive drug delivery systems appear to be a promising carrier for localized chemotherapy with smaller doses and better patient compliance. However, selection of drug candidates, drugfood interactions and chemotherapy-induced gastric discomfort remain the key characteristics that must be addressed to improve treatment outcomes.