© The Author (2008). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved
Irinotecan Combined with 5-Fluorouracil and Leucovorin as Second-line Chemotherapy for Metastatic or Relapsed Gastric Cancer
1 Department of Internal Medicine, Cheju National University Hospital, Jeju
2 Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam
3 Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
For reprints and all correspondence: Keun-Wook Lee, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital 300 Gumi-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeongi-do 463-707, Republic of Korea. E-mail: hmodoctor{at}hanmail.net
Received May 13, 2008; accepted July 17, 2008
Objective: We analysed the efficacy and toxicity of irinotecan, leucovorin and 5-fluorouracil (FOLFIRI) chemotherapy as second-line treatment for metastatic or relapsed gastric cancer (MRGC) in a clinical practice setting. Factors to select patients who may benefit from salvage chemotherapy was also analysed.
Methods: Patients with MRGC with progression on or within 6 months after discontinuing platinum-based chemotherapy received FOLFIRI as second-line therapy. The FOLFIRI regimen consisted of irinotecan (180 mg/m2; day 1) combined with leucovorin (200 mg/m2), followed by 5-fluorouracil (400 mg/m2) as a bolus and 600 mg/m2 as a 22-h infusion on days 1 and 2 every 2 weeks.
Results: Fifty-one patients received a total of 282 courses of chemotherapy. No patients had complete remission (CR), but 9 patients achieved partial remission (PR). Stable disease (SD) was documented in 15 patients. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 3.2 and 9.1 months, respectively. Toxicities were tolerable and grade 3/4 neutropenia was observed in 49 cycles (17%). In multivariate analysis, patients with less organ involvement by metastasis and good performance status (PS) were independently associated with a longer PFS and OS (P < 0.05). Disease control (CR, PR or SD) after first-line chemotherapy were related to a longer PFS (P = 0.02), but had no effect on OS.
Conclusions: FOLFIRI was tolerable and showed modest activity as a second-line therapy in MRGC. Less organ involvement by metastasis or good PS may be optimal selection criteria for patients with MRGC who are suitable for second-line chemotherapy.
Key Words: gastric cancer chemotherapy second-line irinotecan FOLFIRI