Intensive weekly chemotherapy for advanced gastric-cancer using 5-Fluorouracil, Cisplatin, epi-Doxorubicin, 6s-leucovorin and granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor.

Thirty-four advanced gastric cancer patients received, every week for nine weeks, 5-fluorouracil 500 mg/m2 iv; epi-doxorubicin 35 Mg/M2 iv; cisplatin 40 Mg/M2 iv; 6S-leucovorin 250 mg/M2 in 4 hour infusion. Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, at the dose of 5 mug/kg, was administered daily from the day after to the day before each chemotherapy administration. 5 patients achieved a complete response and 20 a partial response, resulting in an overall response rate of 72% (95% confidence interval, 59% to 88%). Median survival time was 12 months for all the patients and 13 months for responding patients. Toxicity was mild. In conclusion, this regimen seems to be promising and suitable for further studies in gastric cancer.