Published in:
01-05-2011 | Original Article
Alternating Treatment with S-1 Plus Low-Dose Cisplatin and S-1 Alone for Advanced Gastric Cancer
Published in: Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery | Issue 5/2011
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Background
The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of an alternating regimen of S-1 plus low-dose cisplatin and S-1 alone as adjuvant therapy in patients with advanced gastric cancer.
Patients and Methods
The study group comprised 100 patients with stage IIIA, stage IIIB, or stage IV. Patients postoperatively received three 5-week cycles of chemotherapy. In the first cycle, S-1 (80 mg/m2) was given daily for 3 weeks, followed by 2 weeks of rest, and low-dose cisplatin (10 mg) was given on days 1 to 5 and 8 to 12. In the second and third 5-week cycles, S-1 alone was given. The primary endpoints were median survival time, and survival at 1 and 3 years. Secondary endpoints were safety and overall response rates.
Results
Median survival time was 18 months in stage IV and 32 months in stage IIIB. The rates of survival at 1 and 3 years were 68.7% and 30.6% in stage IV, 100% and 68.4% in stage IIIA, and 100% and 46.6% in stage IIIB, respectively. Adverse events of grade 3 or 4 occurred in 14% of the patients. The overall response rate of target lesions was 54%.
Conclusion
Our regimen is effective and safe for adjuvant therapy in patients with curatively resected stage III gastric cancer.