Searching research on senior citizen's gastric cancer on clinical effect and safety of TS-1 - Searching research on senior citizen's gastric cancer on clinical effect and safety of TS-1

Thirty-three patients were enrolled. Pharmacokinetics of S-1 was studied in six patients, and the maximum plasma concentrations of respective metabolites after S-1 administration were found to be similar to those reported for younger cancer patients. The overall response rate in 33 patients was 21.2% (95% CI, 10.7-37.8%), and median progression-free survival was 3.9 months, with a median overall survival of 15.7 months. Frequently noted adverse events include leukopenia, neutropenia, anemia, anorexia, and fatigue. As for serious adverse events, relatively higher frequencies of anemia (9%) and anorexia (12%) of grade 3 severity were found, but there were no grade 4 episodes. Conclusions: The results suggest that S-1 monotherapy is safe and useful for elderly patients with unresectable advanced or recurrent gastric cancer when the dose is selected with caution, taking into account renal function.