title: Comparison of protracted infusion 5-fluorouracil and capecitabine in adjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  5-Fluorouracil-based chemoradiotherapy is the most widely used treatment modality in the adjuvant treatment of rectal cancer. Capecitabine represents a valuable alternative to 5-Fluorouracil in this situation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with stage II and stage III rectal adenocarcinoma, who were included in this analysis, received adjuvant chemoradiotherapy consisting of external-beam radiotherapy (50.4-54Gy) either with 5-Fluorouracil at a median dose of 300 mg/m2/day by protracted venous infusion for 5 days a week, or capecitabine at a median dose of 1650 mg/m2/day for 5 days a week after surgery. The data concerning the toxicity and the efficacy of the treatments were compared in patients treated with 5-Fluorouracil- and capecitabine-based chemoradiotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-three patients received 5-Fluorouracil, and 24 patients received capecitabine during adjuvant radiotherapy. Although there were no differences between the groups in terms of toxicity rates, distant metastasis-free survival, disease-free survival, and overall survival rates; a trend for improved loco-regional recurrence-free survival rate was observed in the capecitabine arm (p = 0.063).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Capecitabine is at least as effective as 5-Fluorouracil in the postoperative treatment of rectal adenocarcinoma. Considering the trend for improved loco-regional recurrence-free survival rate in the capecitabine arm, it seems that the drug exerts better synergy with radiotherapy in this situation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Uludag University, Faculty of Medicine, Bursa, Turkey. mkurt@uludag.edu.tr
authors.forename: Meral
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurt
authors.forename: Lutfi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ozkan
authors.forename: Ender
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kurt
authors.forename: Sibel Kahraman
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Cetintas
authors.forename: Sevilcan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aygun
authors.forename: Ilker
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ercan
authors.forename: Tuncay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yilmazlar
authors.forename: Faruk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Memik
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000069287:Capecitabine; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000069287:Capecitabine; D005472:Fluorouracil