RANDOMIZED STUDY WITH MITOMYCIN-C PLUS 5-FLUOROURACIL PLUS CYTOSINE-ARABINOSIDE (MFC) PLUS 5-FLUOROURACIL, MFC PLUS TEGAFUR AND URACIL (UFT), AND MF PLUS UFT IN ADVANCED GASTRIC-CANCER - INTERINSTITUTIONAL DIFFERENCES IN A MULTICENTER STUDY IN JAPAN

In a phase Ln randomized trial of adjuvant chemotherapy for gastric cancer, interinstitutional differences were analyzed. A trial of three regimens: mitomycin C, 5-fluorouracil(S-FU) and CA (MFC) + continuous oral 5-FU (Group C); MFC + continuous oral UFT(tegafur and uracil) (Group B); and MF + UFT (Group C) after operation was conducted in 466 patients with gastric cancer (stage II and III) at four hospitals in Japan (CIH, CAD, ACC and NCC). Patients were stratified by the institution, stage, and tumor size (8 cm ><) The 5-year survival rates were in the order of Group A (79.0%) > B (70.0%) > C (61.0%) (P = 0.1228) in total, A (95.0%) > B (80.0%) > C (58.0%) (P < 0.05) at CAD (82 patients), A > C > B at CIH (215), C > A > B at ACC (95), and B > A > C at NCC (78). The survival rate of patients with S2(serosal exposure), 8 cm < and NO-1 cancer was higher at CIH than at the other institutions. The interinstitutional differences in patient characteristics and surgical technique were more powerful than the differences among the three groups. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.