ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of docetaxel plus xeloda in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer. METHODS: Forty patients with advanced gastric cancer were treated with docetaxel 75 mg?m-2 on day 1 and xeloda 2 000 mg?m-2 (in two divided oral doses) for the first 14 days. The chemotherapy repeated every 3 weeks. Efficacy and toxicities were reviewed after 3 to 4 cycles of chemotherapy (1 cycle = 21 days). RESULTS: Among the 40 evaluable patients, 1 (2.5%) showed complete remission, 23 (57.5%) partial remission, 13 (32.5%) stable and 3 (7.5%) disease progression, and the overall response rate was 60.0%. The main adverse reactions were myelosuppression, alopecia, diarrhea, and hand-foot syndrome. CONCLUSION: The combination of docetaxel and xeloda is well tolerated and effective in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer.