Abstract | PURPOSE: PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred thirty-nine consecutive, previously untreated patients were given ECF. Of these, 128 had measurable disease. Epirubicin (50 mg/m2 i.v.) and cisplatin (60 mg/m2 i.v.) were administered every three weeks for 8 cycles during a 21 week continuous i.v. infusion of 5-fluorouracil (200 mg/m2/day). In total 773 cycles of chemotherapy were given. RESULTS: Objective tumour responses was seen in 91 (71%) of the 128 patients with measurable disease, of which 15 (12%) had a complete response. Twenty patients with locally advanced disease responding to ECF had attempted resection of the primary--11 (55%) were completely removed, 4 of these had no residual tumour in the resected specimen. The overall median survival was 8.2 months with 1 and 2 year survivals of 30% and 10% respectively. Grade 3 or 4 emesis occurred in 13%, stomatitis in 7%, diarrhoea in 4%, infection in 6%, leucopenia in 21% and thrombocytopenia in 8% of patients. Myelosuppression delayed treatment in 39 (5%) of the 773 cycles. Six of the 139 patients (4.3%) had treatment related deaths. There was no measurable reduction in quality of life during chemotherapy, while 67% of the 66 patients with dysphagia had complete resolution of this symptom. CONCLUSIONS: The ECF regimen displays high anti-tumour activity with moderate toxicity in patients with gastric cancer and in some cases enabled resection of previously inoperable tumours.
|
Authors | M Findlay, D Cunningham, A Norman, J Mansi, M Nicolson, T Hickish, V Nicolson, A Nash, N Sacks, H Ford |
Journal | Annals of oncology : official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology
(Ann Oncol)
Vol. 5
Issue 7
Pg. 609-16
(Sep 1994)
ISSN: 0923-7534 [Print] England |
PMID | 7993836
(Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Clinical Trial, Phase II, Journal Article)
|
Chemical References |
- Epirubicin
- Cisplatin
- Fluorouracil
|
Topics |
- Adenocarcinoma
(drug therapy, mortality)
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols
(adverse effects, therapeutic use)
- Chi-Square Distribution
- Cisplatin
(administration & dosage, adverse effects)
- Drug Administration Schedule
- Epirubicin
(administration & dosage, adverse effects)
- Esophageal Neoplasms
(drug therapy, mortality)
- Female
- Fluorouracil
(administration & dosage, adverse effects)
- Humans
- Infusions, Intravenous
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Prognosis
- Regression Analysis
- Remission Induction
- Stomach Neoplasms
(drug therapy, mortality)
- Survival Rate
|