Compositions and dosage forms for gastric delivery of antineoplastic agents and methods of treatment that use them to inhibit cancer cell proliferation

The present invention provides oral dosage forms and compositions for administering antineoplastic agents, such as irinotecan, etoposide, paclitaxel, doxorubicin and vincristine, whose oral effectiveness is limited by pre-systemic and systemic deactivation in the GI tract. Gelling of the gastric retention vehicle composition, and in the case of solid forms concomitant expansion of the composition, retains the antineoplastic drug in the patient's stomach, minimizing pre-systemic and/or systemic deactivation of the drug.