Celecoxib/Oxaliplatin/Capecitabine for Gastric/Gastroesophageal Junction Carcinoma

Summary

Gastric cancer is the second most common neoplasm in the world. Early diagnosis and surgical resection improve the survival and the chance of cure. Unfortunately, majority of cases are diagnosed at advanced stage, with only 20% of the patients presenting with localized disease. The five-year survival for gastric cancer of all stages remains at a dismal 8%. Chemotherapy has been used for advanced gastric cancer but with unsatisfactory results. Therefore, new approaches are needed for these patients. Among the newer chemotherapy regimens for advanced gastric cancer include a combination of oral 5-Fluoro-Uracil (FU)-based compound called Capecitabine(Xeloda) and Oxaliplatin. A few phase II studies suggest that the combination regimen is active with overall response rates ranging 30-40%. Several preclinical and clinical studies have shown that the expression of cyclooxygenase enzyme II(COX-2) is upregulated in many pre-neoplastic and neoplastic lesions. Furthermore, there appears to be an association with the overexpression of Cox-2 and the invasiveness of cancer and prognosis. Finally, preclinical and clinical studies suggest selective Cox-2 inhibitors can induce apoptosis in gastric cancer cells and retard tumor progression. Therefore, there is a strong rationale for the combination of a selective Cox-2 inhibitor, Celecoxib, with Capecitabine and Oxaliplatin in a therapeutic phase II trial for patients with advanced or recurrent gastric cancer.

Timeline

Start

2004-10

Primary completion

2007-08

Completion

2007-08

Outcome

Outcome not reported

Stopped (Enrollment): “Closed due to poor accrual”

Drugs

Indications