[PMC (pharmacokinetic modulating chemotherapy) for advanced gastric cancer]

We performed pharmacokinetic modulating chemotherapy (PMC) postoperatively in patients with advanced gastric cancer and examined its antitumor and the side effects. Nineteen patients with advanced gastric cancer (all were above Stage II) were treated: 10 had undergone total gastrectomy and 9 distal gastrectomy. UFT (400 mg/day) was orally administered daily and a continuous infusion of 5-FU (600 mg/m2/24 hr) was given once a week. The average observation period was 14.26 months (4-30 months). All patients with Stage II or III disease have survived, but two patients with Stage IV disease died. One patient received insufficient PMC and the other had a liver metastasis. Two patients experienced Grade 3 inappetence, but all other side effects were Grade 2 or lower and the incidence was less than 25%. In conclusion. PMC has tolerable side effects and may be effective in postoperative chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer.