PHASE-II STUDY OF WEEKLY HIGH-DOSE 5-FLUOROURACIL AND FOLINIC ACID PLUS BIWEEKLY ALTERNATING CISPLATIN AND EPIRUBICIN (FUFACE) IN PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED GASTRIC-CARCINOMA

Background: Based on promising data with weekly high-dose (HD) continu ous 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and folinic acid (FA) in patients with gastr ic carcinoma (GC) refractory to 5-FU bolus application, we investigate d a weekly combination of HB-5-FU/FA with cisplatin (C) and epirubicin (E) as first-line treatment in patients with advanced GC. Methods: 27 patients with locally advanced or metastatic GC were treated with up to three 6-week courses of FUFACE (5-FU, FA, C, E). Chemotherapy was,p lanned preoperatively in localized tumors. Results: Toxicity was usual ly moderate, but response-independent weight loss and lethargy caused protocol deviations in 30% of the patients, Response rates were 50% an d 91% in metastatic and locally advanced tumors, respectively. All pat ients with localized disease had complete tumor resection al: subseque nt surgery, Median survival was 20+ months in this patient group. Conc lusions: This weekly chemotherapy regimen seems to be veri effective I n advanced GC, The high response rate and resection rate in locally ad vanced tumors favours this regimen particularly in the preoperative se tting.