title: Oxaliplatin with weekly bolus fluorouracil and low-dose leucovorin as first-line therapy for patients with colorectal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the activity of biweekly oxaliplatin, combined with weekly bolus fluorouracil (FU) and low-dose leucovorin (LV) chemotherapy (bFOL), as first-line therapy for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with measurable metastatic colorectal cancer; no previous therapy for advanced disease (adjuvant therapy allowed if >6 months since completion); and performance status 0, 1, or 2 were eligible and were treated with oxaliplatin 85 mg/m2 days 1 and 15 plus LV 20 mg/m2 over 10 to 20 minutes, followed by a 500 mg/m2 bolus dose of FU on days 1, 8, and 15 every 28 days. Patients underwent response evaluation by computed tomographic scan every 2 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-two patients were entered, and 41 patients were treated, including 20 men and 22 women, nine with previous adjuvant chemotherapy and four with radiation therapy. Three patients achieved complete response, and 23 patients achieved partial response, for a response rate of 63% (95% CI, 49% to 78%). Major toxicities included cumulative neuropathy grade 2 (24%) and grade 3 (12%; requiring discontinuation of oxaliplatin), diarrhea grade 3 to 4 (29%) and grade 3 to 4 hematologic toxicity (10%). Median time to progression was 9.0 months (95% confidence interval, 7.1 to 10.8 months) with median survival of 15.9 months (95% confidence interval, 11.4 to 19.7 months).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The bFOL regimen seems to have activity comparable to be infusional programs of FU combined with oxaliplatin. Prospective trials are warranted to determine the relative merits of this schedule compared with the currently indicated schedules.
authors.affiliation: NYU School of Medicine, 160 East 32nd St, New York, NY 10016, USA. howard.hochster@med.nyu.edu.
authors.forename: Howard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hochster
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chachoua
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Speyer
authors.forename: Juliette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Escalon
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zeleniuch-Jacquotte
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Muggia
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D011336:Probability; D012074:Remission Induction; D018570:Risk Assessment; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil