[Evaluation of pre-operative chemotherapy using FT-207 suppositories combined with glutathione--with special...

Thirty patients with gastric cancer were clinically studied by rectal administration of FT-207 suppository at a dose of 1500mg per day as a preoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. Eighteen of thirty patients were divided into two groups, 13 patients of which were only administrated with tegafur (FT-207) suppository (Group A) and 5 patients were administrated with glutathione (GSH) at a dose of 1200mg daily with FT-207 suppository (Group B): The tissue concentration of FT-207 and 5-FU in normal and cancer tissues was measured following the resection of the stomach. In addition, we studied anticancer effect of FT-207 suppository on the basis of our original pathological criteria. Experimental results revealed that 5-FU concentration in serum was reached to maximum at 3 to 4 hours following administration in both groups. The serum concentration in most cases of the former group was decreased to the lower level of the effective concentration for 8 hours, however the latter could be kept the effective concentration for more than 10 hours. The correlation between the tissue concentration and total dose was analyzed. 5-FU concentration, which was active substance of FT-207, in cancer tissue was higher than in normal one, especially in Borrmann II type cancer, but the difference of concentration was not found between group A and B. The correlation between total dose and anticancer effect was also analyzed. Histopathological effect in group A showed a mild change, such as necrosis of cancer nest. On the other hand, group B revealed a markedly effective change like scarring formation. As the result, administration of FT-207 suppository with GSH was clinically and histopathologically effective procedure as preoperative adjuvant chemotherapy.