[Clinical effects of postoperative immunochemotherapy with a combination of 5-FU, CDDP and lentinan for stage IVb gastric carcinoma and long-term pharmacokinetic studies on CDDP and 5-FU].

Eleven patients with postoperative-stage IVb gastric cancer were treated by combined administration of CDDP, 5-FU and Lentinan. CDDP was given intravenously at 20 mg/body on days one to five. At the same time, 5-FU was continuously administered 250 or 500 mg/body/day via the central venous catheter for more than two weeks, while Lentinan was given at the dose of 2 mg per week. Two courses were repeated every 3 weeks. The mean response duration and survival period for the eleven patients were 13 and 21 months, respectively, and one- and two year survival rates were 82% and 27%. This combination therapy was thus considered to be very effective. Next, the pharmacokinetics of long-term CDDP and 5-FU was studied. Our method could maintain the optimum serum concentration of total CDDP. Furthermore, the continuous infusion of 5-FU at a daily dose of 250 mg/day could sufficiently maintain the effective plasma concentration, although its peak fluctuated over time. Thus, in the plasma level of 5-FU in patients in poor condition requires periodic measurement.