Background: The combination of docetaxel (Taxotere), cisplatin, and fluorouracil improved efficacy in gastric cancer, but was associated with substantial toxicity. This study was designed to incorporate docetaxel into a tolerable biweekly (once every 2 weeks) oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy regimen.
Patients and methods: Patients with measurable, metastatic adenocarcinoma of the stomach or esophagogastric junction and no prior chemotherapy received oxaliplatin 85 mg/m(2), leucovorin 200 mg/m(2), and fluorouracil 2600 mg/m(2) as a 24-h infusion in combination with docetaxel 50 mg/m(2) (FLOT) on day 1 every 2 weeks. Prophylactic growth factors were not administered.
Results: Fifty-nine patients were enrolled; 54 received treatment. Patients had a median age of 60 years (range 29-76) and most (93%) of them had metastatic disease. Objective responses were observed in 57.7% of patients with a median time to treatment response of 1.54 months. Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival were 5.2 and 11.1 months, respectively. Twenty-five percent of patients experienced prolonged (>12 months) PFS. Frequent (>10%) grade 3 or 4 toxic effects included neutropenia in 26 (48.1%), leukopenia in 15 (27.8%), diarrhea in 8 (14.8%), and fatigue in 6 (11.1%) patients. Complicated neutropenia was observed in two (3.8%) patients, only.
Conclusions: Biweekly FLOT is active and has a favorable safety profile.