title: Pilot trial of prolonged continuous-infusion 5-fluorouracil and weekly cisplatin in advanced colorectal cancer.
abstract: Thirty-five patients with previously untreated, advanced, measurable metastatic colorectal carcinoma were treated with a 12-week course of continuous 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and weekly cisplatin. Twenty of 32 evaluable patients responded (five complete and 15 partial responses), for an overall response rate of 63% (90% confidence limits, 43%-75%). Toxicity was generally mild and reversible and included mucositis (40%), painful erythema of the palmar and plantar skin (30%), diarrhea (21%), nausea and vomiting (15%), and leukopenia (6%). One patient died of sepsis secondary to mucositis and myelosuppression. This program is a well-tolerated outpatient regimen for metastatic colorectal carcinoma. The response rate is higher than expected for 5-FU and cisplatin and suggests clinical therapeutic synergism at this dose rate and schedule.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil