title: A phase II trial of 5-fluorouracil and 1-leucovorin in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.
abstract: We undertook a multicenter phase II trial of 5-fluorouracil (5FU) + 1-leucovorin (1-LV) in previously untreated patients with metastatic colorectal cancer to determine the response rate, response duration, time to progression, survival, and toxicity. Patients were treated with i.v. 5FU 370 mg/m2/day and 1-LV 100 mg/m2/day x 5 every 28 days. Toxicity and response were determined by WHO criteria. One hundred and twenty-six patients were entered, and 119 patients were eligible and evaluable. Eighty-eight patients had colon cancer and 37 had rectal cancer. The male:female ratio was 58:68. The mean age was 62.2 years. ECOG performance status distribution was 0 (39.7%), 1 (46%), and 2 (11.9%). The median number of courses of therapy administered was 4.5. Severe- or life-threatening stomatitis or diarrhea, nausea, and granulocytopenia occurred in 17.6, 23.2, 17.6, and 15.9% of patients, respectively. The response rate was 22/119 [18.5%; 95% confidence interval (CI) of 12.0-26.6]. Median response duration was 188 days (95% CI of 111-248 days). Median survival was 379 days (95% confidence interval of 289-452 days). These results indicate that when 1-LV is combined with 5FU, toxicity is similar in pattern and severity to that of the d,1 racemic mixture. The overall efficacy of 1-LV + 5FU is comparable to a recent metaanalysis.
authors.affiliation: Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Erlichman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fine
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kerr
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gorg
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Schmoll
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Preusser
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Thuerlimann
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gustavsson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000931:Antidotes / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D000931:Antidotes; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil