title: Treatment of advanced colorectal adenocarcinoma with weekly high-dose l-leucovorin and 5-fluorouracil.
abstract: We report the results of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) combined with high-dose l-folinic acid (leucovorin) therapy for patients with advanced colorectal carcinoma. In each treatment course, the patients weekly received both 5-FU (600 mg/m2 by intravenous 15 min infusion) and l-folinic acid (250 mg/m2 by intravenous infusion over a period of 2 h). A total of six treatments were administered with a 14-day interval to the next course of six treatments. Forty-eight patients were evaluated for toxicity and 32 for response. The combined complete and partial response rate was 25% in 32 patients. Toxicity was within acceptable limits without grade 4 toxicity. Although the response rate was slightly lower than those reported in phase II trials in Japan, the result was satisfactory. This therapy can be the standard chemotherapy for colorectal cancer patients, even in Japan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan. nozue-m@md.tsukuba.ac.jp
authors.forename: Mutsumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nozue
authors.forename: Naohide
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Isaka
authors.forename: Tsunehiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawamoto
authors.forename: K-I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Seino
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanagichi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukao
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil