title: Weekly 24 h infusion of high-dose 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin in patients with biliary tract carcinomas.
abstract: From October 1995 to June 1997, 19 chemotherapy-naive patients with pathology-proven locally advanced or metastatic biliary tract carcinomas (BTC) were enrolled. The regimen consisted of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) 2600 mg/m2 and leucovorin (LV) 150 mg by weekly 24 h infusion for 6 weeks and followed by a 2 week break. The treatment was terminated if disease progressed, the patient refused or unacceptable toxicity occurred. All patients required a Port-A catheter insertion and were treated at outpatient clinics by portable infusion pumps. There were 12 males and seven females with a median age of 62 years (range 45-77). The primary tumor sites were nine intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas (CC), three perihilar CC, one distal BTC and six gallbladder cancers. A total of 179 chemotherapy sessions were given with a mean of 9.5 (range 2-18). Eighteen patients were evaluable for response. The response rates were: 33% (six of 18) partial response (PR), 39% (seven of 18) stable disease (SD) and 28% (five of 18) progressive disease (PD). All of the patients were evaluable for toxicity. The most common toxicities were mild fatigue (nine of 19, 47%), loss of appetite (nine of 19, 47%), skin hyperpigmentation (five of 19, 26%) and diarrhea (two of 19, 11%). Only one patient had grade IV myelotoxicity with sepsis but without treatment-related death. The median time to progression was 4 months. The overall median survival time was 7.0 months. The median survival time of the PR was not reached, SD was 8.0 months and PD 3.5 months. In conclusion, weekly high-dose 5-FU with LV by 24 h infusion in an outpatient setting for patients with BTC is effective, only mildly toxic and deserves further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Y Y
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Jan
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Liau
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000855:Anorexia / Q000139:chemically induced; D000931:Antidotes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001661:Biliary Tract Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000139:chemically induced; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005221:Fatigue / Q000139:chemically induced; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D017495:Hyperpigmentation / Q000139:chemically induced; D007260:Infusion Pumps; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D000931:Antidotes; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D004338:Drug Combinations; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil