Docetaxel in gastric cancer

AbstractPatients with advanced gastric cancer have a poor prognosis. 5-Fluorouracil (F) and cisplatin (C) based regimens are often considered to be reference regimens in the treatment of patients with advanced gastric cancer. Best supportive care in advanced gastric carcinoma results in median survival times of 3–4 months. Docetaxel (D) plus cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil was selected by an Independent Data Monitoring Committee as the test regimen for the second (phase III) stage of the V325 study on the basis of the response rate in the randomised phase II first stage. Chemotherapy–naı̈ve patients were randomised to receive either DCF or CF. Tumour assessments were independently reviewed. At a planned interim analysis on 223 patients (111 DCF/112 CF) both the median time to progression and overall response rate were statistically superior in the DCF arm (5.2 months versus 3.7 months, and 39% versus 23%, respectively). The increase in median survival, 10.2 months compared with 8.5 months in this interim analysis did not yet reach statistical significance. The results of the full study population are awaited eagerly