It is the consensus of the medical oncology reference committee to discontinue this protocol due to the role of epirubicin in the metastatic gastric and oesophageal cancer setting being controversial. A meta-analysis by Mohammad et al 2015
r showed that the addition of an anthracycline to a chemotherapy doublet did not meet statistical significance for overall survival and was associated with increased toxicity. Non-anthracycline regimens are preferred.
Treatment schedule summary
Drug |
Dose |
Route |
Day |
Epirubicin |
50 mg/m2 |
IV |
1 |
cISplatin |
60 mg/m2 |
IV infusion |
1 |
Capecitabine |
625 mg/m2 TWICE a day |
PO |
1 to 21* |
*Capecitabine is taken continuously
Frequency: 21 days
Cycles: Continuous until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity
Note: In older patients or in patients with significant comorbidities, a fixed dose of capecitabine 1000 mg twice a day may be used.