Phase I Pharmacokinetic Study of Weekly Intravenous and Intraperitoneal Paclitaxel Combined with S-1 for Advanced Gastric Cancer

Objectives: A dose-escalation study of weekly intraperitoneal paclitaxel (PTX) combined with S-1 and intravenous PTX was performed to determine the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended dose (RD) in gastric cancer patients. Patients and Methods: Nine gastric cancer patients with peritoneal dissemination and/or cancer cells on peritoneal cytology were enrolled. PTX was administered intravenously on days 1 and 8 at a fixed dose of 50 mg/m(2), and intraperitoneally with an initial dose of 20 mg/m(2), stepped up to 30 or 40 mg/m(2). S-1 was administered at a fixed dose of 80 mg/m(2)/day for 14 consecutive days, followed by 7 days of rest. A pharmacokinetic study of PTX was also performed. Results: The MTD was determined to be 30 mg/m(2), as 2 of 3 patients developed dose-limiting toxicities, grade 3 febrile neutropenia and diarrhea. Therefore, the RD was determined to be 20 mg/m(2). The intraperitoneal and serum PTX concentration remained effective for over 72 and 48 h, respectively. Conclusions: Combined chemotherapy of S-1 plus weekly intravenous and intraperitoneal PTX was shown to be a safe regimen that should be further explored in clinical trials. Copyright (C) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel