title: Oral uracil-tegafur plus leucovorin vs fluorouracil bolus plus leucovorin for advanced colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis of five randomized controlled trials.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate systematically the efficacy and safety of oral uracil-tegafur (UFT) plus leucovorin (LV) compared with infusional fluorouracil (5-FU) plus LV for advanced colorectal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eligible studies were identified from Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Library. The end-points included overall survival and overall tumour response rate, and toxicity including leucopenia, febrile neutropenia, stomatitis/mucositis and diarrhoea.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five randomized controlled trials were identified. Pooled data demonstrated no difference in overall survival between the oral UFT plus LV regimen and the 5-FU bolus plus LV regimen [hazard ratio 1.013; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.911-1.127].The fixed-effect pooled estimate for overall tumour response rate showed no significant difference between the two regimens (relative risk 0.893; 0.672-1.187). Grade 3-4 leucopenia [odds ratio (OR) 0.126; 955 CI 0.048-0.326], grade 1-4 leucopenia (OR 0.089; 95% CI 0.067-0.119) and grade1-4 febrile neutropenia (OR 0.020; 95% CI 0.004-0.102) were significantly less prominent in the oral UFT regimens. For nonhaematological toxicities, grade 3-4 stomatitis/mucositis (OR 0.075; 95% CI 0.039-0.146), grade 3-4 infection (OR 0.484; 95% CI 0.310-0.758), grade 1-4 infection (OR 0.672; 95% CI 0.547-0.826, P < 0.001), grade 1-4 diarrhoea (OR 0.743; 95% CI 0.626-0.881) were also less likely to happen in patients in the oral UFT plus LV regimen, while there was no significant difference between the two treatment regimens with respect to grade 1-4 stomatitis/mucositis (OR 0.278; 95% CI 0.053-1.456) and grade 3-4 (OR 1.174; 95% CI 0.983-1.403) diarrhoea.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral UFT or 5-FU bolus combined with LV results in similar overall survival and tumour response rates for advanced colorectal cancer. The former treatment regimen is greatly superior in terms of toxicity, especially haematological toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Bin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000139:chemically induced; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000139:chemically induced; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D052016:Mucositis / Q000139:chemically induced; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D016017:Odds Ratio; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000139:chemically induced; D016019:Survival Analysis; D005641:Tegafur / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014498:Uracil / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D005641:Tegafur; D014498:Uracil; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil