Oral tegafur-uracil plus folinic acid versus intravenous 5-fluorouracil plus folinic acid as adjuvant chemotherapy of colon cancer.
To compare, in terms of compliance, toxicity, quality of life (QOL) and efficacy, intravenous 5-fluorouracil plus folinic acid with oral tegafur-uracil plus folinic acid as postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy after curative resection in patients with Dukes' stage B2 and C2 colon cancer. Among all patients with adenocarcinoma of the colon operated on between July 1997 and June 1999, 122 with Dukes' stage B2 or C2 colon cancer were enrolled in this study. Fifty-three patients were treated with intravenous 5-fluorouracil plus folinic acid (5-FU group) and 69 with oral tegafur-uracil plus folinic acid (UFT group). Compliance, toxicity, QOL and efficacy were evaluated. Compared with the 5-FU group, patients in the UFT group experienced a lower incidence of grade 1 toxicity. The incidences of grade 2-4 toxicity were similar in the two treatment groups. However, severe toxicity (grade 3 or 4) was rare in both groups. A steady and significant increase of the QOL score, both during and after therapy, was evident in both groups suggesting that chemotherapy is quite tolerable and does not deteriorate the patients' QOL. At the median follow-up duration of 28 months, the survival rate and disease free survival rate for the UFT and 5-FU groups were 94.9% vs. 92.5% and 87.5% vs. 84.1%, respectively (p > 0.05). These data suggest that oral tegafur-uracil modulated with oral folinic acid as an adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with Dukes' stage B2 and C2 colon cancer may be a good alternative to infusional 5- fluorouracil.
Kim
Dong Joo
DJ
Department of Internal Medicine, Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 134 Shinchon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-752, Korea.
Kim
Tae Il
TI
Suh
Jung Hoon
JH
Cho
Yong Suk
YS
Shin
Sung Kwan
SK
Kang
Jin Kyung
JK
Kim
Nam Kyu
NK
Kim
Won Ho
WH
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005641:Tegafur / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D005641:Tegafur; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil