Recommendation for Chemotherapeutic Drugs in Stomach Cancer and its Clinical Application

Kim, Wook

REVIEW

Korean J Clin Oncol. 2006;2(3): 21-29.

Recommendation for Chemotherapeutic Drugs in Stomach Cancer and its Clinical Application

Wook Kim

Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Catholic University, Korea

위암의 권고안과 실제 임상 적용

김욱

가톨릭대학교 의과대학

Corresponding Author: Wook Kim ,Tel: +82-32-340-7022, Fax: +82-32-340-2669, Email: kimwook@catholic.ac.kr

Received: May 13, 2006; Accepted: June 14, 2006.

ABSTRACT

Every year about 20,000 people are diagnosed with stamach cancer in Korea. And among them, about 40% patients was known to be an early gastric cancer, curable with surgery alone. Therefore, though patients with advanced gastric cancer undergo radical surgery, the tumor has recurred or matastasized frequently, making the treatment process more difficult. In the past, stomach cancer in general was thought to be unresponsive to chemotherapy, but recent clinical studies are providing otherwise. Accordingly, following the health care payment standards stated in the National Health Insurance, the government on September 1, 2006 has announced specific articles concerning health care payment of medications chosen by the minister of the Department of Health and Welfare (chemotherapy, antiemetics, cancer painkillers) prescribed to cancer patients. Regarding t the anticancer drugs and especially those that have been developed recently(irinotecan, docetaxel, capecitabine, S-1, oxaliplatin), it was felf that the 2nd. line anticancer drugs, which are usually administered in combination with 5-FU/LV or cisplatin, are not giving the patient the best care possible. However, considering the present economic status of Korea and the indivisual circumstances of the cancer patients, the recommendations have relieved many limitations of cancer drug uses of the past, and although the selection of drugs are not completely satisfactory, and has helped that patients with inoperable or recurrent gastric cancer. Thus, with results from active clinical trials both domestic and abroad, progressive revisions of the present recommendation for anticancer drug use will not only increase satisfaction of the treatment in both doctors and patients but also serve as a foundation in constructing a better anticancer drug use recommendation.

Keywords: chemotherapy | recommendation | gastric cancer