title: First-line chemotherapy with low-dose leucovorin plus 5-fluorouracil (LV/5-FU) for elderly patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the practical efficacy of low-dose leucovorin plus 5-fluorouracil (LV/5-FU) in elderly patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The records of 20 patients treated with LV/5-FU for unresectable metastatic disease from colorectal cancer from 1999 to 2004 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients received LV/5-FU as first-line, and low-dose CPT-11 and CDDP regimen (CPT-11/CDDP) as second-line therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the treatment of LV/5-FU, no patients had CR, 3 patients had PR, 4 patients had SD and 13 patients had PD, which results in a response rate (RR) of 15% and in a disease control rate (DCR) of 35%. MST of all patients was 18.4 months. There was one patient who experienced grade 3 or 4 adverse reactions during the course of these regimens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low-dose LV/5-FU chemotherapy in elderly patients with metastatic colorectal cancer could be acceptable in order to avoid adverse effects and to obtain quite a favorable survival time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Tokyo Women's Medical University Medical Center East, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshimatsu
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yokomizo
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.forename: Arihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Umehara
authors.forename: Taisuke
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Otani
authors.forename: Atsuo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Gakuji
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Osawa
authors.forename: Shunichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shiozawa
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Katsube
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Naritaka
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogawa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil