Aim: To compare the efficacy of a combined chemotherapy regimen of 5-fluouracil (5-FU) and adriamycin (ADM) with nimustine hydrochloride (ACNU; brand name Nidran), a new nitrosourea agent, or with methyl-CCNU for advanced gastric cancer.
Methods: One-hundred-and-three cases of advanced gastric cancer were randomly allocated into Group A (Me-CCNU, 5-FU and ADM combination) and Group B (ACNU, 5-FU and ADM combination). The quality of life (QOL) questionnaire, composed of 11 ordinal categorical items, was used to collect data from these patients.
Results: Group A had no case of complete remission (CR) or partial remission (PR), while Group B had no CR but 8 PR (8/46 cases), for a response rate of 0% in Group A and 17.4% in Group B. The median survival time in Group A was 108 d and in Group B was 112 d. Both groups tolerated the treatment well and there were no serious adverse effects. QOL evaluations showed better psychological and physical feelings of tiredness for Group B than for Group A, and scores based on facial scaling showed a more pleasant inclination for the former.
Conclusion: ACNU combination is superior to the Me-CCNU combination for advanced gastric cancer patients.
Keywords: 5-fluouracil; Adriamycin; Mitomycin C; Nimustine hydrochloride; Stomach neoplasms.