Etoposide, leucovorin and 5-fluorouracil (ELF) chemotherapy has been reported to be less toxic yet effective (response rates of 50%) in patients with advanced gastric cancer. A phase II study of ELF in 25 patients (11 males, 14 females, median age 53 years) with advanced adenocarcinoma of the stomach is reported. Patients received outpatient intravenous etoposide 120mg/m2 over 2 hours, folinic acid 300 mg/m2 over 2 hours, 5-fluorouracil 500 mg/m2 boluses daily for 3 days every 21 days. Of 17 measurable patients, there was one complete response (CR), 4 partial responses (PR) for a total response rate of 29.4%. Non-hematologic toxicity was modest (grade 0 vomiting 11/21, stomatitis 16/21, diarrhea 17/21). Grade 3/4 neutropenia was seen in 14/23, thrombocytopenia in 2/23, anemia in 5/23 patients. Median progression-free and overall survival was 4.1 and 7.1 months, respectively. In conclusion, ELF chemotherapy shows only modest activity in patients with advanced gastric cancer and is associated with severe hematologic toxicity.