Docetaxel and S-1 as a First-line Treatment in Patients with Advanced or Recurrent Gastric Cancer

Background: The safety and efficacy of docetaxel plus S-1 combination chemotherapy as a first-line treatment in patients with advanced or recurrent gastric cancer was verified retrospectively. Patients and Methods: Eighteen patients with advanced or recurrent gastric cancer were enrolled. The regimen used was intravenous docetaxel, 40 mg/m(2), on day 1 and oral S-1, 80 mg/m(2)/day, on days 1-14 every three weeks. Results: In total 101 cycles were administered. One and 11 patients achieved complete and partial responses, while six and zero patients showed stable and progressive disease, respectively. The median time to progression (TTP) and median overall survival were 7.0 and 14.3 months, respectively. Neutropenia was the most common grade 314 hematological toxicity. Nausea and stomatitis were the most common grade 3 nonhematological toxicities. No treatment-related death was observed. Conclusion: Docetaxel plus S-1 combination is an active and tolerable regimen as a first-line treatment in patients with advanced or recurrent gastric cancer.