A phase II study of cisplatin in advanced gastric cancer

Twenty patients with recurrent or metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma and prior chemotherapy were treated with cisplatin, 60-120 mg/m2 as a 6-hr infusion repeated every 3 weeks. There were 4 partial responses in 18 evaluable patients. Seven patients had stable disease. Time to progression ranged from 6 to 28 weeks. Median WBC nadir was 3.2 X 10(3)/mm3 (range, 1.5-7.1) and platelet nadir 120 X 10(3)/mm3 (range, 13-220). A transient increase in serum creatinine was observed in 6 cases, and nausea and vomiting in all. We conclude that this drug is active in stomach cancer and that it warrants further trials in combination chemotherapy.