For Stage 3/4 Gastric Cancer, Neoadjuvant Docetaxel Plus Oxaliplatin, 5-FU Effective

the Cancer Therapy Advisor take:

According to a new study published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology, researchers at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University in Wenzhou, China, have found that neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel, oxaliplatin, and fluorouracil is effective for the treatment of patients with stage 3 or 4 gastric cancer.

For the prospective study, researchers sought to investigate the efficacy and safety of the neoadjuvant chemotherapy combination for the treatment of stage 3 or 4 gastric cancer. They enrolled 53 patients with with stage 3 or 4 gastric cancer and treated them with docetaxel 75mg/m2 intravenously and oxaliplatin 85mg/m2 intravenously on day 1 and fluorouracil 1,500mg/m2 continuous IV infusion on days 1 to 3.

Results showed a clinical efficacy rate of 62.7% (2 complete remissions plus 30 partial remissions). In addition, 60.8% of patients underwent an R0 radical resection and there was a 74.2% remission rate. Of the 51 evaluable cases, 42 had improved Karnofsky scores.

In regard to safety, the most frequent adverse events were bone marrow suprression and gastrointestinal mucosa lesions followed by nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The findings suggest that this regimen is effective for stage 3 or 4 gastric cancer, but this treatment is also associated with an increased incidence of myelosuppression.