[Low-dose methotrexate and sequential 5-FU treatment in advanced gastric cancer]

Combination chemotherapy of low-dose methotrexate and sequential 5-FU was given to 16 patients with advanced gastric cancer. Treatment regimen : methotrexate 30 mg/m2 followed 3 hours later with 5-FU, 750 mg and 24 hours later with leucovorin 30 mg/m2. Each drug was administered as a bolus. Treatment was repeated weekly. The median ECOG PS was 3 (range 2-4) and median age was 55.1 years (range 28-87). Of these 16 patients who were evaluated, four had PR, and 5 had MR, giving a response rate of 25%. Of the 7 patients who had been previously treated with a combination of chemotherapy including 5-FU, the figures were 2 PR and 3 MR. This regimen has been well tolerated by the patients. No patient had a WBC nadir of less than 2000 cells/mm3, and no patient had a platelet count nadir of less than one hundred thousand platelets/mm3. No other toxicity was detected.