Malignant ascites caused by gastric cancer are chemotherapy resistant and carry a poor prognosis. The efficacy of a regimen including intraperitoneal paclitaxel (PTX) was evaluated in 33 gastric cancer patients with ascetic fluid in the peritoneal cavity diagnosed with computed tomography (CT) scanning. Synchronous administration of intravenous (50 mg/m(2)) and intraperitoneal (20 mg/m(2)) PTX was performed via a subcutaneously placed intraperitoneal catheter on days 1 and 8, and S-1 was administered twice daily at 80 mg/m(2)/day for 14 consecutive days from day 1 to day 14, followed by 7 days of rest. The ascitic fluid volume was calculated with NIH Image J software using continuous CT images. After 2-4 treatment cycles, 23 (70%) patients showed reductions in their ascitic volumes of >50%. Ascites disappeared completely in 8 patients and were markedly reduced (to <3% of the original volume) in 4 of the 9 patients (44%) who initially had massive (>2,500 ml) ascites. Median overall survival was significantly better in patients with ascitic reduction. Weekly intravenous and intraperitoneal PTX combined with S-1 was highly effective in gastric cancer with malignant ascites. The change in ascitic fluid volumes determined by CT image measurements is a useful predictor of outcome in these patients.
Copyright 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.