CONTINUOUS 5-FLUOROURACIL AND LEUCOVORIN AS A 2ND-LINE THERAPY FOR ADVANCED GASTRIC-CARCINOMA

Eleven patients with chemotherapeutically pretreated advanced gastric cancer were treated in a phase II study with a combination of 5-fluoro uracil (5-FU) and Leucovorin (LV, folinic acid). 5-FU (1,200 mg/m(2)) and LV (100 mg/m(2)) were given as a parallel continuous intravenous i nfusion over 48 h every 2 weeks for at least 8 weeks. Toxicity and res ponse rates were evaluated. Results show that this chemotherapeutic re gimen is well tolerable, without any side effects exceeding WHO grade 1 toxicity, but that it has no considerable effects on tumor growth. N one of the patients achieved disease remission. In 8 out of the 11 stu dy patients therapy had to be discontinued prematurely because of dise ase progression. Therefore we conclude that the studied protocol of 5- FU/LV as second-line treatment of advanced gastric cancer although wel l tolerable is not effective.