title: Outpatient therapy with irinotecan and low-dose cisplatin for metastatic colorectal cancer resistant to 5-fluorouracil.
abstract: Chemotherapy with irinotecan hydrochloride and low-dose cisplatin was tested for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer showing resistance to 5-fluorouracil. Eleven consecutive patients with advanced metastatic colorectal cancer (performance status: 0 to 2), who had shown tumor progression on chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin, were treated with irinotecan (60 mg/m2) plus cisplatin (6 mg/m2) by 90-min intravenous infusion. Treatment was repeated weekly for 3 weeks during admission and then fortnightly on an outpatient basis. Objective responses were observed in four patients (36%; 95% confidence interval: 11%-69%). The median duration of response was 5.5 months and six patients are still alive. The time to disease progression was longer in the no change group (7.0+/-3.6 months: mean +/- SD) than in the responder group (5.5+/-1.9 months), and there was no difference of median survival between the two groups (10.0 versus 10.3 months). The overall median survival was 8.2 months (range: 4 to 12+ months). This treatment was well tolerated. Six patients experienced grade 1 or 2 leucopenia, while grade I diarrhea and nausea occurred in three and five patients, respectively. Based on the good response, excellent quality of life, and convenience, the present regimen seems to be reasonable second-line outpatient chemotherapy for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer showing resistance to 5-fluorouracil.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery II, Kumamoto University School of Medicine, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yagi
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shiomori
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuramoto
authors.forename: Norimitsu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogawa
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002166:Camptothecin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000139:chemically induced; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D000077146:Irinotecan; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D000077146:Irinotecan; D002945:Cisplatin; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil; D002166:Camptothecin