title: Adjuvant chemoimmuno- and immunotherapy in Dukes' stage B2 and C colorectal carcinoma: a 7-year follow-up analysis.
abstract: A prospectively randomised controlled clinical trial of adjuvant therapy was undertaken, at a single-centre, population-based cancer institute, in patients with Dukes' stages B2 and C colorectal carcinoma after curative surgery. Between 1976 and 1983, 253 patients were randomised to either control (no further therapy after surgery), immunotherapy (oral bacille Calmette-Guérin [BCG] 120 mg once a month) for 5 years or chemoimmunotherapy (oral BCG as above with methyl-cyclohexyl-chloroethyl nitrosourea [meCCNU] 130 mg/m2 on day 1 and 5-fluorouracil [5-FU] 325 mg/m2/day on days 1-5 and 375 mg/m2/day on days 36-40) repeated every 10 weeks for 8 cycles. The median follow-up of patients is now 6.95 years. Of the control, immunotherapy, and chemoimmunotherapy groups 22.35%, 39.28%, and 28.57%, respectively, have relapsed. The log-rank analysis of results shows no disease-free or overall survival advantage for patients receiving adjuvant therapy compared with the control group. Patients receiving adjuvant immunotherapy for stage B2 appear to have a significantly inferior disease-free survival compared with other groups, but their overall survival is similar. There are no significant differences in disease-free or overall survival in the three groups of patients with stage C tumour. Of 82 patients dying, 78.05% died of progressive colorectal carcinoma, 13 patients developed a second malignancy; the remainder died of seemingly unrelated causes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Abdi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hanson
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Harbora
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: McPherson
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008130:Lomustine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D001500:BCG Vaccine; D008130:Lomustine; D005472:Fluorouracil