title: Clinical impact of adjuvant chemotherapy on patients with stage III colorectal cancer: l-LV/5FU chemotherapy as a modified RPMI regimen is an independent prognostic factor for survival.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with stage III colorectal cancer have a substantial risk of microscopic metastatic disease at the time of resection. Treatment with leucovorin (LV)/5-Fluorouracil (5FU) has been demonstrated to be effective for advanced colorectal cancer; however, the clinical impact of l-LV/5FU is still unclear. 1-LV/5FU for patients with stage III colorectal cancer may play an important role, as an adjuvant chemotherapy, in improving survival.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinicopathological features of 36 patients receiving adjuvant l-LV/54 administration and 16 not, univariate analysis of potential predictors of overall survival and disease-free survival, relative risk of overall survival and disease-free survival by multivariate analysis and the occurrence of chemotherapy-induced toxic effects were studied in 52 patients with stage III colorectal cancer, including 30 with rectal and 22 with colon cancer, who had undergone surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences were found in the clinicopathological features of the 2 groups. On univariate analysis, there were no significant differences in overall survival in either group; disease-free survival in patients with adjuvant I-LV/5FU was longer than that in patients without it (p<0.001). Moreover, multivariate analysis demonstrated that I-LV/5FU adjuvant chemotherapy was an independent prognostic factor in terms of disease-free survival (p =0.001; RR, 17.492; 95% CI, 3.298-92.778).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  I-LV/5FU adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with stage III colorectal cancer is important as an independent prognostic factor in terms of disease-free survival.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, Wakayama Medical University, School of Medicine, Wakayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsukasa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hotta
authors.forename: Katsunari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takifuji
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arii
authors.forename: Shozo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Higashiguchi
authors.forename: Toshiji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tominaga
authors.forename: Yoshimasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oku
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamaue
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging
chemical_list: D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil