title: Should capecitabine replace 5-fluorouracil in the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer?
abstract: Fluoropyrimidines play a central role in the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. Our aim was to review whether capecitabine was a safer, non-inferior, economically superior and more convenient alternative to 5-fluorouracil. Capecitabine has previously been compared to 5-fluorouracil-either as a monotherapy or in combination with oxaliplatin, irinotecan, or biological drugs-and has been found to have comparable efficacy and safety profiles. Furthermore, pharmacoeconomic data and patients' preferences for oral chemotherapy further favor capecitabine. Therefore, capecitabine appears to be an effective and safe alternative to fluorouracil in the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.
authors.affiliation: Carlos Aguado, Beatriz García-Paredes, Miguel Jhonatan Sotelo, Javier Sastre, Eduardo Díaz-Rubio, Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aguado
authors.affiliation: Carlos Aguado, Beatriz García-Paredes, Miguel Jhonatan Sotelo, Javier Sastre, Eduardo Díaz-Rubio, Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: García-Paredes
authors.affiliation: Carlos Aguado, Beatriz García-Paredes, Miguel Jhonatan Sotelo, Javier Sastre, Eduardo Díaz-Rubio, Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel Jhonatan
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Sotelo
authors.affiliation: Carlos Aguado, Beatriz García-Paredes, Miguel Jhonatan Sotelo, Javier Sastre, Eduardo Díaz-Rubio, Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sastre
authors.affiliation: Carlos Aguado, Beatriz García-Paredes, Miguel Jhonatan Sotelo, Javier Sastre, Eduardo Díaz-Rubio, Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Díaz-Rubio
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002166:Camptothecin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D000069287:Capecitabine; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D000077146:Irinotecan; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000069287:Capecitabine; D000077146:Irinotecan; D005472:Fluorouracil; D002166:Camptothecin
keywords: 5-Fluorouracil; Capecitabine; Metastatic colorectal cancer