Hematotoxicity of 5-fluorouracil-leucovorin in a setting of adjuvant chemotherapy.
Changes of granulocyte macrophage colony forming units (CFU-GM) were assessed in peripheral blood of patients treated with 5-Fluorouracil-Leucovorin adjuvant chemotherapy after removal of colon cancer. The clinical and hematological state of the patients was steady and as far normal as possible. Leucocyte counts did not show significant changes. The mean peripheral blood level of CFU-GM significantly decreased following 5FU-LV infusion, reaching nadir by day 15. These changes of hemopoietic progenitors, not detected by routine hematic cell counts, point to a perturbation of the granulopoietic system by the 5FU-LV association also at doses used in adjuvant chemotherapy.
Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Università degli Studi di Genova, Italy.
A
A
Cerruti
G
G
Castello
R
R
Lerza
B
B
Barsotti
I
I
Pannacciulli
D000368:Aged; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil