[Combination chemotherapy with UFT, etoposide, CDDP, adriamycin (FEPA) in advanced gastric cancer]

Fifteen patients with inoperable advanced gastric cancer were treated with UFT.etoposide.CDDP.adriamycin (FEPA). Six were males and 9 were females with an average age of 58 (range 40 to 80 years). Nine patients were in P.S. 2 and 6 in P.S. 3. FEPA regimen was performed every 4 weeks as follows: UFT 400 mg/m2 (p.o.) every day, etoposide 50 mg/m2 (i.v.), CDDP 25 mg/m2 (i.v.) and adriamycin 10 mg/m2 (i.v.) on days 1, 8, 15 and 22. Among 15 patients, 6 partial remissions and 4 minor responses were obtained. Gastrectomy was performed in 2 of 6 PR patients after FEPA chemotherapy. The overall response rate was 40.0%. As for side effects, mild myelosuppression was the most frequent (66.7%), followed by alopecia and nausea. We concluded that combination chemotherapy of FEPA is useful for inoperable advanced gastric cancer.