The effect of fluorouracil on survival in metastatic colorectal cancer fluorouracil response improves survival.
We set out to define the place for therapy with fluorouracil in patients with advanced colorectal cancer. Sixty-three patients with stage D2 cancers were observed for seventeen months to five years from the time of diagnosis. Thirty patients received fluorouracil in various regimens. Nineteen patients were not referred for chemotherapy, a further eleven were excluded because their condition was terminal, and three could be evaluated. Ten patients had either partial or complete response to fluorouracil; their median survival was 25 months. Twenty patients who did not respond to fluorouracil had a median survival of 11 months, whereas the non-treated group had a median survival of 15 months. The difference between the responders and the other groups was highly significant.
D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011379:Prognosis; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors
D005472:Fluorouracil