Purpose: Paclitaxel-cisplatin (TC) combination is effective and well tolerated in patients with unresectable gastric cancer. We investigated the efficacy and safety of TC for locally advanced gastric cancers in a neoadjuvant setting.
Methods: Patients received 2-4 courses of paclitaxel (80 mg/m(2)) and cisplatin (25 mg/m(2)) on days 1, 8, and 15 in a 4-weekly schedule, followed by radical gastrectomy. Primary endpoint was the pathological response rate: percentage of tumors in which one-third or more parts were affected.
Results: All 52 patients enrolled were eligible. Thirty-six (69.7 %) patients completed two or more courses of chemotherapy. Forty-three patients (82.7 %) underwent surgery, 33 (63.5 %) had R0 resection, and there was no treatment-related death. The pathological response was 34.6 % (95 % CI 22.0-49.1) for all registered patients; the null hypothesis of tumor response ≤10 % was rejected (p < 0.0001). The 3-year overall survival was 41.5 % (95 % CI 27.4-55.0).
Conclusions: The neoadjuvant chemotherapy with TC was safe and effective for patients with locally advanced gastric cancer, and further study is needed to confirm the effectiveness of this regimen.