Docetaxel and Epirubicin in Advanced Gastric Cancer

Inclusion Criteria:

* Male and female outpatients ≥ 18 years,
* Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status below 1, with histologically confirmed as gastric adenocarcinoma with inoperable and/or metastatic disease.
* Patients must have at least one target lesion with a minimum lesion size as per the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors criteria (at least 1 unidimensional measurable lesion ≥ 20 mm in diameter by conventional CT or MRI scan, or ≥ 10 mm in diameter by spiral CT scan).
* Creatinine clearance ≥ 60ml/min (estimated creatinine clearance must be calculated at baseline for all patients.)
* Adequate major organ function : - Hematopoietic function: white blood cell \>4,000/mm3 or absolute neutrophil count \> 2,000/mm3, Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm3,- Hepatic function: Bilirubin \< 1.5 X upper normal limit, aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase levels \<2.5 X upper normal limit, alkaline phosphatase \< 5 x upper normal limit (except in case of bone metastasis without any liver disease) - Renal function: Creatinine \<1 x upper normal limit or creatinine clearance ≥ 60ml/min.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients must not have previously received systemic treatment (cytotoxic chemotherapy or active/passive immunotherapy) for advanced or metastatic disease.
* Adjuvant or neo-adjuvant treatment for non-metastatic (M0) disease is allowed if completed at least 6 months prior to initiation of study treatment.
* The following laboratory values: - neutrophils ≤1.5 X 109 /L, platelet count\<100 X 109 /L- serum bilirubin ≥ 1.5 X upper normal limit, aspartate aminotransferase

  , alanine aminotransferase \> 2.5 X upper normal limit or \> 5 X upper normal limit in the case of liver metastases- Alkaline phosphatase \> 2.5 X upper normal limit or 5 X upper normal limit in the case of liver metastases or \> 10 X upper normal limit in the case of bone disease.
* Prior therapy with Taxotere or Epirubicin is excluded.