Epidoxorubicin and double biochemical 5-fluorouracil modulation with folinic acid and human lymphoblastoid interferon in advanced gastric carcinoma: a multicentric phase II study of the Southern Italy Oncology Group (GOIM).

In our previous randomized trial of advanced gastric cancer patients, the addition of epirubicin (EPI) to 5-fluorouracil (FU) with folinic acid (FA) resulted in an improved response rate and survival in the responder patients. Preclinical studies also showed an enhancement of FU and anthracyclines with interferon. To evaluate the possibility of human lymphoblastoid interferon (IFN) to enhance the therapeutic activity of the FA-FU + EPI combination regimen, 39 advanced gastric cancer patients received: FU at 375 mg/m2 i.v. immediately after FA (l-isomer form) at 100 mg/m2 i.v. for 5 consecutive days; EPI at 60 mg/m2 i.v. on day 1, and IFN 3 MU s.c. for 7 consecutive days, starting 2 days bef…