Abstract: AIM: To explore the efficacy and safety of capecitabine in the maintenance therapy of advanced gastric carcinoma. METHODS: All 48 patients with advanced gastric cancer after response to fluorouracil-based chemotherapy as a first-line were divided into two groups, the maintenance therapy group (n=25) was administered capecitabine at a dose of 1 000 mg/m², twice daily for 14 days,followed by a 7-day rest period, 21 days for 1 cycles, until disease progressed or can not tolerate the toxicities withdrawal.The control group (n=23) administered with regular clinical observations until disease progressed.The efficacy and safety of maintenance therapy group were observed, the difference between two groups of progression-free survival was compared. RESULTS: 25 cases of capecitabine maintenance therapy patients, a total of 148 cycles of chemotherapy, including 5 cases of patients with adverse effects due to withdrawal, were treated until disease progressed, the median cycle for 6 cycles.There were 5 PR,16 SD and 4 PD. The objective response rate of capecitabine maintenance therapy group was 20%, disease control rate was 84%. Maintenance therapy group, the median progression-free survival was 8.2 months, the observation group, the median progression-free survival was 6.1 months,P=0.05, there was significant difference between two groups.The most common adverse effects in the maintenance therapy group was hand-foot syndrome and hematological toxicity, but to a lesser degree, mainly for Ⅰ-Ⅱ degree, Ⅲ incidence rate was 28%, good tolerance. CONCLUSION: First-line chemotherapy regimen to fluoropyrimidine-based therapy benefit to patients with advanced gastric cancer, capecitabine as maintenance therapy can prolong progression-free survival, toxicity can be tolerated.

Key words: advanced gastric cancer, maintenance therapy, capecitabine