CHEMOTHERAPY SELECTION METHOD FOR STOMACH CANCER PATIENTS

摘要

The purpose of the invention is to provide chemotherapy having a strong life-prolonging effect and few adverse effects for stomach cancer patients. Provided to achieve this purpose is a method for predicting the therapeutic effect of chemotherapy using tegafur.gimeracil.oteracil potassium compounding agent in stomach cancer patients, including the following steps (1)-(3): (1) a step for measuring the HER2 mRNA expression level contained in a biological sample collected from the patient; (2) a step for comparing the HER2 mRNA expression level obtained in step (1) with a cut-off point that is the pre-set median value of the HER2 mRNA expression level contained in biological samples from stomach cancer patients; and (3) a step for predicting that there is a high likelihood that selection of chemotherapy combining tegafur.gimeracil.oteracil potassium compounding agent and an HER2 inhibitor will have an adequate therapeutic effect in the patient when the expression level of HER2 mRNA is at or above the cut-off point in the result of the comparison in step (2), and to predict that there is a high likelihood that selection of chemotherapy using tegafur.gimeracil.oteracil potassium compounding agent alone will have an adequate therapeutic effect when the HER2 mRNA expression level is below the cut-off point.