title: A combination of 5-fluorouracil and thymidine in advanced colorectal carcinoma.
abstract: Concurrent administration of thymidine (TdR) has been shown to increase the antitumor activity of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in various experimental models. The clinical response rate, side-effects, and toxicity of 5-FU and TdR were evaluated in 27 patients with advanced colorectal carcinomas. Each 6-day treatment course consisted of an IV loading dose of TdR (405 mg/kg, over 30 min), followed by continuous IV infusions of 5-FU (7.5 mg/kg per day for 5 days), and TdR (216 mg/kg per day for 6 days); courses were repeated every 4 weeks. The overall partial response rate was 4.5%, or 16.7% in patients with no prior 5-FU chemotherapy. Short-lived stable disease was seen at an overall rate of 27.3%, half of these patients with prior 5-FU chemotherapy. Myelotoxicity occurred in 64% of the patients, but this was dose-limiting in only 20%. Gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms were mild and infrequent. There was one case of treatment-related death due to sepsis secondary to leukopenia. It is concluded that the concurrent IV administration of 5-FU and TdR does not improve the response rate over that obtained with 5-FU alone.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000187:drug effects*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013936:Thymidine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D005472:Fluorouracil; D013936:Thymidine