[Weekly docetaxel therapy is useful for gastric carcinoma as a second-line chemotherapy]

In the present study, we demonstrate the results of weekly administered docetaxel treatments as a second-line chemotherapy after TS-1 treatment in 4 gastric cancer patients. Twenty-five mg/m2 of docetaxel was administered once a week for 3 weeks followed by a 1-week rest period as one cycle. The treatment was continued for 2 to 16 weeks. In case 1, a 60% reduction of the primary tumor was observed for 20 weeks. In cases 2 and 3, the decrease of tumor marker was observed. In one case, progression of the tumor was observed and the treatment was not performed. As for adverse effects, no hematological toxicity was observed; however, in one case, grade 2 hair loss, pleural effusion and grade 2 nail changes were observed. These results indicate that the weekly docetaxel therapy is useful for gastric carcinoma patients, as it reduces the hematologic toxicities and improves the quality of life of the patients in the outpatient setting.