ISSN:
1436-3305
Keywords:
Key words Methotrexate
;
5-Fluorouracil
;
Gastric cancer
;
Bone metastasis
;
Disseminated intravascular coagulation
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract Background. Patients with bone metastasis of gastric cancer occasionally experience disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), with a very poor prognosis. Methods. We treated 18 gastric cancer patients with bone metastasis with sequential methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil (sequential MTX/5-FU therapy). The treatment schedule comprised weekly administration of methotrexate (MTX; 100 mg/m2, i.v. bolus) followed by 5-fluorouracil (5-FU; 600 mg/m2, i.v. bolus) after an interval of 3 h. Calcium leucovorin (10 mg/m2, p.o. or i.v.) was administered six times, every 6 h starting 24 h after the administration of MTX. Results. In 11 patients with measurable metastatic lesions, the response rate was 64% (7/11). Nine patients (50%) had DIC before the initiation of chemotherapy, and 8 of them (89%) recovered from it. Two of these 9 patients (22%) survived for more than 1 year. The median survival times for all patients and for the 9 with DIC were 186 and 113 days, respectively. Grade 4 leukopenia was observed in 3 patients (17%). No treatment-related deaths occurred. Conclusion. Sequential MTX/5-FU therapy may have palliative potential and may be a feasible treatment for gastric cancer patients with bone metastasis with or without DIC.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/PL00011684
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