title: Continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil with alpha 2b interferon for advanced colorectal carcinoma.
abstract: Thirty patients with symptomatic colorectal carcinoma were commenced on treatment with 5-fluorouracil (2.5 g week-1) administered by continuous intravenous infusion and alpha 2b interferon (3 x 10(6) U s.c. three times a week). Six out of 30 patients (20%) achieved a partial response. Three patients (10%) had stable disease and 21 patients (70%) progressed on treatment. Twenty patients (67%) completed ten or more weeks of treatment. In nine patients, treatment was withdrawn after 2-9 weeks because of disease progression or death. One patient's treatment was interrupted by emergency surgery. The median survival for all patients was 210 days (7 months). The principal side-effects were oral mucositis (12/30 patients), nausea (8/30 patients) and transient diarrhoea (4/30 patients), and initial constitutional symptoms due to alpha 2b interferon. The combination of low-dose continuous infusional 5-fluorouracil and low-dose alpha 2b interferon is well tolerated but has no obvious advantage over alternative infusional regimens using 5-fluorouracil as a single agent.
authors.affiliation: Skin Hospital, Salford, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hulse
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lorigan
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jayson
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Scarffe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D005472:Fluorouracil