The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of paclitaxel plus oxaliplatin plus fluorouracil/leucovorin (POF) as salvage chemotherapy in pretreated advanced gastric cancer. Fifty-two pretreated patients with the advanced gastric cancer were eligible for this study. The POF regimen consisted of a 3-hour infusion of paclitaxel (135 mg/m(2)) followed by oxaliplatin (85 mg/m(2)) and leucovorin (400 mg/m(2)), administered simultaneously over a 2-hour infusion period, followed by an infusion of fluorouracil (2400 mg/m(2)) over a 46-hour period, every 14 days. From an intention-to-treat analysis, overall response rate and stable disease rate were 28.8 and 38.5%, respectively. The median time to progression and overall survival were 4.1 and 7.9 months, respectively. Grade 3 or 4 neutropaenia, thrombocytopaenia, fatigue, and neuropathy were 38.5, 15.4, 17.3, and 15.4%, respectively. The POF regimen is active in pretreated advanced gastric cancer as salvage chemotherapy, with a favourable toxicity profile.
Keywords: Advanced gastric cancer,; Fluorouracil,; Oxaliplatin,; Paclitaxel,; Salvage chemotherapy.