title: The efficacy of chemotherapy in patients with high-grade metastatic colon cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was undertaken to assess the prognostic role of histological grade in colon cancer and the efficacy of either oxaliplatin or irinotecan after incorporation into an infusional regimen of 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin in patients with high-grade metastatic colon cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from 2409 consecutive and eligible patients with colon cancer from a single institute was used to assess the impact of histological grade on survival and the efficacy of the two doublet regimens on patients with metastatic colon cancer relative to histological grade.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High histological grade has unfavorable outcome for patients with stage III (p=0.021) or stage IV (p=0.003) colon cancer but not for those with stage I (p=0.703) or stage II (p=0.767) colon cancer. Progression free survival and overall survival in patients with high-grade metastatic colon cancer were not improved by the addition of irinotecan or oxaliplatin to the infusional 5-fluorouracil + leucovorin regimen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Histological grade is a prognostic factor in stage III/IV colon cancer but not in stage I/II. Oxaliplatin and irinotecan may not enhance the efficacy of infusional 5-fluorouracil + leucovorin in the treatment of high-grade metastatic colon cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Jen
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jen-Kou
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Wei-Shone
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Tzu-Chen
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Shung-Haur
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jeng-Kai
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Shih-Ching
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Yuan-Tzu
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Chueh-Chuan
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.forename: Cheng-Hwai
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tzeng
authors.forename: Hsei-Wei
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hao-Wei
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Teng
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002166:Camptothecin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D000077146:Irinotecan; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D011379:Prognosis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D000077146:Irinotecan; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil; D002166:Camptothecin