Pilot study of postoperative adjuvant chemoradiation for advanced gastric cancer:Adjuvant 5-FU/cisplatin and chemoradiation with capecitabine

AIM:To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of postopera-tive chemoradiation using FP chemotherapy and oralcapecitabine during radiation for advanced gastric cancerfollowing curative resection.METHODS:Thirty-one patients who had underwent apotentially curative resection for Stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ(MO)gastric cancer were enrolled.Therapy consists of onecycle of FP(continuous infusion of 5-FU 1000 mg/m~2on d 1 to 5 and cisplatin 60 mg/m~2 on d 1)followed by4500 cGy(180 cGy/d)with capecitabine(1650 mg/m~2daily throughout radiotherapy).Four wk after completionof the radiotherapy,patients received three additionalcycles of FP every three wk.The median follow-up dura-tion was 22.2 mo.RESULTS:The 3-year disease free and overall survivalin this study were 82.7% and 83.4%,respectively.Fourpatients(12.9%)showed relapse during follow-up.Eightpatients did not complete all planned adjuvant therapy.Grade 3/4 toxicities included neutropenia in 50.2%,ane-mia in 12.9%,thrombocytopenia in 3.2% and nausea/vomiting in 3.2%.Neither grade 3/4 hand foot syndromenor treatment related febrile neutropenia or death wereobserved.CONCLUSION:These preliminary results suggest thatthis postoperative adjuvant chemoradiation regimen ofFP before and after capecitabine and concurrent radio-therapy appears well tolerated and offers a comparable toxicity profile to the chemoradiation regimen utilized inINT-0116.This treatment modality allowed successfulloco-regional control rate and 3-year overall survival.