Patients with locally advanced or metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma received an i.v. bolus of 4'-epi-doxorubicin, 75/mg/m2/cycle, every 21 days. Partial responses were observed in 5 of 23 evaluable patients (21.7%). Treatment was generally well tolerated and toxicity was mild. The response rate to epirubicin appears to be very similar to that reported for doxorubicin. Larger doses of epirubicin could be safely used in future studies, and further evaluation of epirubicin in phase III trials is indicated.