Purpose: Since a weekly administration of paclitaxel has demonstrated a sustained efficacy and more favorable toxicity profile than a 3-weekly administration for various solid tumors, the present study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a combination regimen of weekly paclitaxel plus cisplatin in patients with advanced gastric cancer.
Patients and methods: Patients with previously untreated metastatic or recurrent, measurable gastric cancer received intravenous paclitaxel 100 mg/m(2) plus cisplatin 35 mg/m(2) on days 1 and 8 based on a 3-week cycle.
Results: Fifty-two patients were enrolled in the current study. Two complete responses and 17 partial responses were confirmed, giving an overall response rate of 36.5%. At a median follow-up of 8.5 months, the median time to progression and median overall survival was 6.0 and 10.8 months, respectively. Grade 3 neutropenia occurred in ten patients, while no grade 4 neutropenia or febrile neutropenia was observed. The most common non-hematologic toxicity was nausea (grade 1/2, 56.9%). There were no treatment-related deaths.
Conclusion: A weekly paclitaxel and cisplatin combination was found to be well-tolerated and effective in patients with advanced gastric cancer. Accordingly, this regimen can be regarded as an important first-line treatment option for advanced gastric cancer.