title: Mitomycin C with weekly 24-h infusion of high-dose 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin in patients with biliary tract and periampullar carcinomas.
abstract: We have reported a 33% partial response rate with acceptable toxicity using weekly 24-h infusion of high-dose 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin (LV) in patients with far advanced biliary tract cancers (BTC). In this study, we added mitomycin (MMC) to 5-FU and LV in an attempt to improve the response rate and survival. From July 1997 to September 1999, 25 chemotherapy-naive patients with pathology-proven far advanced BTC and periampullar cancers were enrolled. The regimen consisted of MMC 10 mg/m(2) every 8 weeks combined with 5-FU 2600 mg/m(2) and LV 150 mg at a schedule of 24-h infusion weekly for 6 weeks followed by a 2 week break. There were 10 males and 15 females with a median age of 57 years (range 40-76). The sites of primary tumor were 15 intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas (CC), one perihilar CCs, three distal BTC, three gallbladder cancers (GB) and three periampullar cancers. A total of 148 sessions of chemotherapy were given with a mean of 8 (range 2-18). Nineteen patients were evaluable for response. The response rate was: 26% (five of 19) partial response, 42% (eight of 19) stable disease and 32% (six of 19) progressive disease. All of the patients were evaluable for toxicity. Toxicities more than grade III-IV were thrombocytopenia 16% (four of 25), leukopenia 12% (three of 25) and vomiting 4% (one of 25). There were four treatment-related deaths. The median time to disease progression was 3 months. The median survival was 6 months. A combination of MMC with weekly high-dose 5-FU and LV in patients with BTC did not improve the response rate, but produced more toxicity than weekly high-dose 5-FU and LV alone.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC. fong0301@ms18.hinet.net
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Y Y
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Jan
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Liau
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014670:Ampulla of Vater; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000633:toxicity; D001661:Biliary Tract Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004067:Digestive System Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016685:Mitomycin; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil