The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the POF regimen (biweekly 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin combined with paclitaxel and oxaliplatin) as first-line treatment for advanced gastric cancer (AGC). Twenty-seven previously untreated patients with advanced adenocarcinoma of the gastric or gastroesophageal junction were eligible for this study. The chemotherapy 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 5-fluorouracil (2400 mg/m(2)) over a 46-hour period. Twenty-one patients had measurable lesions: four complete responses, eight partial responses and seven stable diseases. At a median follow-up of 610 days, median survival was 348 days. Frequent grade 3 to 4 toxicities were: neutropenia (29.6%), stomatitis (7.4%), nausea (7.4%), vomiting (7.4%), hepatic dysfunction (3.7%), and fatigue (18.5%). No treatment-related deaths occurred. The POF regimen appears to be efficacious and is well tolerated in patients with AGC.