title: Nitrosoureas: useful  agents for the treatment of advanced gastrointestinal cancer.
abstract: Patients with a wide range of gastrointestinal cancers have been treated with nitrosoureas by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group. Methyl-CCNU, CCNU, and streptozotocin have been evaluated as single agents in the treatment of colorectal carcinoma. Methyl-CCNU has had an extensive trial in gastric carcinoma as a single agent and in combination with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). It has also been used to treat pancreatic carcinoma and, in a few patients, carcinoma of the biliary tract. In gastric cancer it would appear that a synergistic effect on response rates has resulted from the combination of methyl-CCNU and 5-FU. The addition of cyclophosphamide to this combination as an induction agent detracted significantly.
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008130:Lomustine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009607:Nitrosourea Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D012673:Semustine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D013866:Thioguanine / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D009607:Nitrosourea Compounds; D012673:Semustine; D008130:Lomustine; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D013866:Thioguanine; D005472:Fluorouracil