Phase II study of paclitaxel and capecitabine (PX) combination as neoadjuvant chemotherapy for unresectable locally advanced gastric cancer.

e15164 Background: Unresectable locally advanced adenocarcinoma (AGC) of the stomach is associated with poor prognosis due to the lack of effective treatment. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has drawn more attention to the treatment of locally AGC in the current multidisciplinary treatment model. Paclitaxel and capecitabine (PX) has been used in palliative setting with good response rates but its role in a neoadjuvant setting is not well established. This phase II study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant PX chemotherapy in patients with unresectable locally AGC. Methods: Patients with AGC, clinically unresectable because of local invasion and/ or conglomerated regional lymph nodes (station 7, 8, and 9) metastasis on based on laparoscopic staging, were enrolled. PX consisted of paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 i.v. on day 1, and capecitabine 835 mg/m2 twice daily p.o. on days 1–14 every 21 days. After three cycles of NAC, patients with clinically resectable AGC underwent surgical resection...