[Three successful case reports of advanced gastric cancer with chemotherapy]

Abstract

We report three successful cases with continuous systemic chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer. Case 1: A 67-year-old male with gastric cancer. Abdominal CT showed the invasion in the pancreas and as a result, continuous systemic infusion of low-dose cisplatin (CDDP 20 mg/day) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU 1,000 mg/day) was performed. This infusion chemotherapy, CDDP and 5-FU, was continued for 5 days and discontinued for 25 days. Three months after the chemotherapy, the main tumor was remarkably reduced (downstaging was obtained), and consequently, total gastrectomy was performed. Case 2: A 78-year-old male with gastric cancer and hepatic multiple metastases. Abdominal CT scan before operation did not reveal the hepatic metastasis. In the operation for distal gastrectomy, we found multiple metastases on the surface of the liver. Continuous systemic infusion of low-dose CDDP (20 mg/day) and 5-FU (1,000 mg/day) was performed. This infusion chemotherapy, CDDP and 5-FU, was continued for 5 days and discontinued for 2 days. One month after the chemotherapy, Liver metastases had almost disappeared. Case 3: A 73-year-old male had received a distal gastrectomy based on the diagnosis of gastric cancer. The tumor marker, CA19-9, immediately decreased after the operation, but had increased again. He was treated with a combination chemotherapy of TS-1 and CDDP. The treatment consisted of 4 weeks of TS-1 administration (100 mg daily) followed by a 2-week break. CDDP of 10 mg/day was infused intravenously (day 1-5). Four weeks after the infusion, CA19-9 had returned to almost normal. We conclude that the combination chemotherapy of 5-FU (or TS-1) and CDDP might be an effective treatment for advanced and metastatic gastric cancer.