[Chemotherapy of scirrhous gastric cancer]

Cancer chemotherapy plays a central role in the treatment of recurrent or unresectable scirrhous gastric cancers classified mainly as Borrmann type 4. Though we have no specifically effective drugs for scirrhous gastric cancer, 5-FU and its derivative, MMC, anthracyclines, CDDP, CQ and ACNU are known to be relatively effective single agents against this tumor. In an attempt to enhance the effect of single agents, several combined chemotherapy regimens have been devised and tested. These regimens included 5-FU + MMC, UFT + MMC, UFT + CDDP, MTX.5-FU, FAM, FAP, EAP and ELF regimen. At present, combined therapies using 5-FU and MTX or CDDP may be the most attractive of these combined regimens.