Doxorubicin, Cisplatin, 5-Fluorouracil in Patients With Advanced Adenocarcinoma of the Stomach or Esophagus

• Patients will receive cisplatin and doxorubicin intravenously once every 3 weeks. In addition to cisplatin and doxorubicin, patients will receive 5-fluorouracil intravenously as a continuous infusion for the duration of the study. In order to do this, patients will receive an infusion pump that can be carried with them. Treatment cycles will be repeated every 21 days for a maximum of 8 cycles.
• Prior to enrollment in this study and while the patient is receiving the therapy, routine blood tests and x-ryas (including chest x-rays and CT scans) will be performed to check the body's response to the treatment. Blood tests will be checked once a week and chest x-rays and CT scans will be checked every 6 weeks.
• Patients with progressive disease or intolerable side effects will be removed from the study. Patients with stable disease or tumor response will continue therapy for a maximum of 8 cycles.

Inclusion criteria

• Measurable, locally unresectable or metastatic adenocarcinoma of the stomach, GE junction or esophagus
• No more than one prior chemotherapy regimen
• ECOG performance status of < or equal to 2
• Life expectancy > 12 weeks
• ANC > 1,500/mm3
• Hemoglobin > 9.0 gm/dl
• Platelets > 100,000/mm3
• SGOT < 3 x ULN
• Total bilirubin < 2.0 mg/dl
• Creatinine < 1.5 mg/dl

Exclusion criteria

• Prior cisplatin or doxorubicin as neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy with in 1 year of study entry
• Clinically apparent central nervous system metastases or carcinomatous meningitis
• Myocardial infarction in the past 6 months
• Major surgery in the past 2 weeks
• Uncontrolled serious medical or psychiatric illness
• Pregnant or lactating women
• Concurrent malignancy of any site, except limited basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• History or clinical evidence of congestive heart failure