[A new sequential chemotherapy of methotrexate with 5-fluorouracil against advanced colo-rectal cancer].
A new sequential chemotherapy consisting of intravenous (IV) administration of methotrexate (MTX) 50 mg/m2 followed by 3 equal IV doses of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) 500 mg/m2 at 1.4 and 21 hrs. and a leucovorin rescue (15 mg/body/8 hr) from 24 hrs. after MTX for 3 days was applied every two weeks for the patients with advanced colo-rectal cancer. The effectiveness of this MTX/3-dose 5-FU regimen was compared retrospectively with that of the standard sequential regimen consisting of the IV administration of MTX 100 mg/m2 followed by a single IV dose of 5-FU 800 mg/m2 one hr. later and a leucovorin rescue (21 mg/body/6 hr) 24 hrs. later given every week, namely MTX/1-dose 5-FU regimen. Partial response was achieved in 7 (46.7%) of 15 evaluable patients with the MTX/3-dose 5-FU regimen and in 3 (13.6%) of 22 evaluable patients with the MTX/1-dose 5-FU regimen (p < 0.05). The median survival times were 13 and 9 months, respectively. There were no significant difference in the patient characteristics between the two groups, and the toxic effects were much lower in the MTX/3-dose 5-FU than in the MTX/1-dose 5-FU regimen. It is therefore, concluded that the MTX/3-dose 5-FU regimen is superior to the standard MTX/1-dose 5-FU regimen.
Fujiki
T
T
Dept. of Gastroenterology, Saitama Cancer Center.
Futatsuki
K
K
Akazawa
S
S
Yamamoto
K
K
Miyazaki
M
M
Kanda
Y
Y
Amemiya
K
K
Uchida
N
N
Oishi
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil; D008727:Methotrexate