[Combination chemotherapy with FP versus FEP in patients with advanced gastric cancer. Research group of gastric cancer chemotherapy].

Forty-eight patients with unresectable gastric cancer were enrolled for a randomized trial of FP (n = 24) vs FEP (n = 24) combination chemotherapy with respect to their effects on survival period. Of these, excluding 7 patients, 21 in FP group were treated with 400 mg/m2 UFT po daily and 50 mg/m2 CDDP i.v. on days 1 and 8 every 4 weeks, and 20 in FEP group were treated with 400 mg/m2 UFT po daily, 50 mg/m2 etoposide iv and 50 mg/m2 CDDP i.v. on days 1 and 8 every 4 weeks. In FP group, 10 PR in primary lesions were observed with an overall response rate of 52.4%. In FEP group, 5 PR in primary lesions were observed with an overall response rate of 35.0%. Toxicities over Grade 3 were anorexia (35%), vomiting (25%), and leukopenia (12%), which were manageable. The 50% survival time in FP and FEP group was 233 and 176 days, respectively. Because of the high response rate and prolongation of the survival period, combination chemotherapy with FP seemed to be useful for the treatment of patients with advanced gastric cancer.