Use of 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin and mitomycin C (FEM) as adjuvant therapy in node-positive, radically-resected gastric cancer patients: survey of a general hospital experience.

Between 1/1986 and 6/1996, 37 consecutive patients affected by node-positive gastric cancer (GC) were treated with radical surgery and received 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin and mitomycin C (FEM) as adjuvant treatment. Only 57% of the patients received all six cycles and the reasons for treatment withdrawal were mainly related to concomitant pathologies and prolonged leukopenia. After a median follow-up of 39 months, the 3-year disease-free survival, disease-related survival and overall survival were 75.8%, 83.7% and 78.6% respectively. A statistically significant difference in survival was found in the subgroup of patients receiving more than three courses of treatment.