Download PDF
Open Access
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · South Asian J Cancer 2025; 14(02): 271-276
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1788581
Original Article
Gastro Intestinal Section

Efficacy and Safety of mFOLFOX-6 in Advanced Gastric Cancer: A Prospective Observational Study

Authors

  • Amrith B. Patel 

    1   Department of Medical Oncology, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi, India

  • Varun Goel 

    1   Department of Medical Oncology, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi, India

  • Srujana Joga 

    1   Department of Medical Oncology, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi, India

  • V.P.B. Koyyala 

    1   Department of Medical Oncology, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi, India
    2   Department of Medical Oncology, Assam Cancer Trust Hospital, Tejpur, Assam, India

  • Sumit Goyal

    1   Department of Medical Oncology, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi, India

  • Dinesh C. Doval

    1   Department of Medical Oncology, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi, India

  • Ullas Batra 

    1   Department of Medical Oncology, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi, India

  • Vineet Talwar 

    1   Department of Medical Oncology, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi, India
Further Information
Also available at
  Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

Background

The widespread use of oxaliplatin plus infusional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and folinic acid (FOLFOX) in advanced gastric cancers is mainly based on clinical trials conducted at Western/European countries. The prospective data on efficacy and safety of FOLFOX in advanced gastric cancer is lacking from the developing countries. In this prospective observational study, we evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of mFOLFOX-6 in patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinomas, as first-line palliative chemotherapy.

Methods

Patients with previously untreated metastatic adenocarcinoma of stomach/GEJ, received mFOLFOX-6 (2 hours infusion of oxaliplatin [85 mg/m2] and folinic acid [400 mg/m2], followed by fluorouracil 400 mg/m2 intravenous push, then a 46-hour continuous infusion of 5-FU [2,400 mg/m2]). Cycles were repeated every 2 weeks. The patients were prospectively followed up for response rates and toxicity.

Results

Sixty-six patients were included in the study with a median age of 57 years. Sixty-two patients were evaluable for response. The overall response rate was 53%, with a disease control rate (overall response and stable disease) of 81.8%. The median progression-free survival was 6 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 5.2–6.7 months) and the median overall survival was 11.5 months (95% CI 9.0–13.9 months). Ascites at presentation and more than one site of metastasis are associated with significantly lower survival on the log-rank test. Gastrointestinal and hematological toxicities were predominant, with rates of grade 3 to 4 nausea/vomiting (13.6%), anemia (15.1%), and neutropenia (13.6%). Among other toxicities, neurosensory toxicities were common. Four (6%) patients had grade 3 peripheral neuropathy.

Conclusion

mFOLFOX-6 is an active and well-tolerated chemotherapy regimen in advanced adenocarcinoma of stomach/GEJ. This regimen has similar response rates and treatment outcomes with lesser grade 3 or 4 toxicities than that of triplet regimens compared to historical studies.

Keywords

advanced gastric cancer - mFOLFOX-6 - palliative chemotherapy


Publication History

Received: 14 June 2023

Accepted: 26 June 2024

Article published online:
22 July 2024

© 2024. MedIntel Services Pvt Ltd. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
A-12, 2nd Floor, Sector 2, Noida-201301 UP, India