Combination chemotherapy of S-1 +CPT-11 (q 4-5 w) for metastatic gastric cancer

The effectiveness of systemic chemotherapy for metastatic gastric cancer has already been established. However, a standard chemotherapy still remains uncertain. New agents such as S-1, CPT-11 and taxanes are markedly improving the response rates for gastric cancer. Including these new drugs, several randomized phase III trials are ongoing in Japan. In the near future, the candidate for standard regimen to treat gastric cancer will be reported. In this article, we described the current state of S-1 +CPT-11 combination chemotherapy for gastric cancer. Among various CPT-11 based chemotherapy, S-1 +CPT-11 appears to be the most effective and less toxic treatment.