Objective: To determine the clinical toxicities and antitumor effects of a chemotherapy regimen of FTQ, a compound preparation of tegafur, the drug prototype of 5-furacil (5-FU), gimeracil (CDHP), a decomposition inhibitor of 5-FU, oteracil potassium, phosphorylation inhibitor of 5-FU, and combined with cisplatin in patients with inoperable locally or metastatic advanced gastric cancer.
Methods: 119 patients with inoperable locally or metastatic advanced gastric cancer admitted in 10 hospitals in China were divided into 2 groups: FTQ group (n = 59), undergoing a 3-week regime, i.e. oral use of 80 mg x m(-2) x d(-1) for 14 d and then discontinuance for 1 week and intravenous drip cisplatin 75 mg/m2 on days 1-3; and control group (n = 60) undergoing a 3-week regimen including oral use of tegafur 800 mg x m(-2) x d(-1) tid for 14 d and then discontinuance for 1 week and intravenous drip of cisplatin 75 mg/m2 on days 1-3. The curative was evaluated after at least after 2 regimens.
Results: There were 102 patients in the per-protocol population. The overall response rate of the FTQ group was 28. 3% (15/53), significantly higher than that of the control group (4.1%, 2/49, P = 0.004). The clinical improvement of the FTQ group was 50.9%, significantly higher than that of the control group (24.5%, P = 0.006). The main toxicities occurred in bone marrow and the digestive tract. The leucopenia and thrombocytopenia rates of the FTQ group were 47.45% and 32.22% respectively, both similar to those of the control group. There were no differences in the incidence rate of digestive canal side reaction between these 2 groups .
Conclusion: The regimen of FTQ combined with cisplatin is generally well-tolerated and has substantial antitumor activity.