Chemotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer.
The treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC) has changed dramatically over the years. 5-Fluorouracil (5FU)-based therapies have been routinely included in treatment regimens for colorectal cancer for the past 40 years. A number of options are available to clinicians for the treatment of patients relapsing after surgical excision of their primary tumour, such as 5FU in association with FA, the new drugs such as irinotecan and oxaliplatin and the oral fluoropyrimidines: capecitabine and uracil/tegafur (UFT). It has been shown that combination therapy with 5FU/FA and irinotecan or oxaliplatin is more active than 5FU/FA in the first line of treatment in MCRC. New agents acting on novel targets are under development such as epidermal growth factor inhibitors, vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors and cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitors.
Christopoulou
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Section of Oncology, St. Andrews General Hospital, Votsi 31-33, 262-21 Patras, Greece. athinachris@in.gr
D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017326:Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil