Weekly paclitaxel for a patient with advanced gastric cancer

2 of paclitaxel, along with premedication for 3 weeks, followed by 1 week of rest, was started. After the first of these 4-week courses, the discharge from her nasogastric tube decreased to 200–600 ml per day, and the tube was removed 78 days after insertion. Oral intake of food increased smoothly, and she was discharged on September 14. After another, short, hospitalization, she was discharged on October 20, and she has been coming to our outpatient clinic once a week. After paclitaxel was started, gastric fiberscopy and computed tomography (CT) scan showed reduction of the tumor. Of special note was the disappearance of ascitic fluid after two courses, rated as a “partial response” (Japanese classification). There was a decrease in hemoglobin, but neither leukocytopenia nor a decrease in platelets was found. Neuropathy was slight and no treatment was needed. Now, after 1 year, 11 courses of chemotherapy have been administered at the outpatient clinic. These results suggest weekly administration of paclitaxel to be a promising treatment for advanced gastric cancer with peritoneal dissemination. The therapeutic efficacy should be confirmed by further clinical trials. Received: September 9, 2002 / Accepted: February 5, 2003 RID="*" ID="*" Offprint requests to: S. Yamamoto