Studies of Baker's antifol, methotrexate, and razoxane in advanced gastric cancer: A Gastrointestinal Tumor Study Group Report.

In this multi-institutional study of advanced gastric cancer, 73 patients were evaluable for response or survival. Patients were treated with either triazinate (Baker's antifol), standard-dose methotrexate, or ICRF-159 (razoxane). Objective responses were seen in four patients receiving Baker's antifol, in three receiving methotrexate, and in none receiving razoxane. Baker's antifol produced a median survival of 18 weeks and methotrexate and razoxane produced a median survival of 8 and 9 weeks, respectively. Seventy of the 73 patients entered in this study had been previously treated, most frequently with combination chemotherapy regimens containing 5-FU or doxorubicin. This study appears to demonstrate that Baker's antifol is an active drug for patients with advanced gastric cancer, according to both response and survival criteria. Examination of the pretreatment prognostic characteristics of the patients further suggests that a possible survival advantage is due to treatment with Baker's antifol rather than the prognostic characteristics of the patients.