Fluorouracil plus leucovorin as effective adjuvant chemotherapy in curatively resected stage III colon cancer: results of the trial adjCCA-01.
OBJECTIVE
Adjuvant postoperative treatment with fluorouracil (5-FU) and levamisole in curatively resected stage III colon cancer significantly reduces the risk of cancer recurrence and improves survival. Biochemical modulation of 5-FU with leucovorin has resulted in increased remission rates in metastatic colorectal cancer, thus reflecting an increased tumor-cell kill. The impact of 5-FU plus leucovorin on survival and tumor recurrence was analyzed in comparison with the effects of 5-FU plus levamisole in the prospective multicentric trial adjCCA-01.


METHODS
Patients with a curatively resected International Union Against Cancer stage III colon cancer were stratified according to T, N, and G category and randomly assigned to receive one of the two adjuvant treatment schemes: 5-FU 400 mg/m(2) body-surface area intravenously in the first chemotherapy course, then 450 mg/m(2) x 5 days; 12 cycles, plus leucovorin 100 mg/m(2) (arm A), or 5-FU plus levamisole (Moertel scheme; arm B).


RESULTS
Six hundred eighty (96.9%) of 702 patients enrolled onto this study were eligible. After a median follow-up time of 46.5 months, the 5-FU plus leucovorin combination significantly improved disease-free survival (P =.037) and significantly decreased overall mortality (P =.0089) in comparison with 5-FU plus levamisole. In a multivariate proportional hazards model, adjuvant chemotherapy emerged as a significant prognostic factor for survival (P =.0059) and disease-free survival (P =.03). Adjuvant treatment with 5-FU plus levamisole as well as with 5-FU plus leucovorin was generally well tolerated; only a minority of patients experienced grade 3 and 4 toxicities.


CONCLUSIONS
After a curative resection of a stage III colon cancer, adjuvant treatment with 5-FU plus leucovorin is generally well tolerated and significantly more effective than 5-FU plus levamisole in reducing tumor relapse and improving survival.
Department of Gastroenterology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. porsch@zkhost.bremen.de
R
R
Porschen
A
A
Bermann
T
T
Löffler
G
G
Haack
K
K
Rettig
Y
Y
Anger
G
G
Strohmeyer
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D007978:Levamisole / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D007978:Levamisole; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil