title: High-dose oral tegafur-uracil maintenance therapy in patients with uterine cervical cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy and toxicity of oral administration of tegafur-uracil (UFT) at a high dose, 600 mg/day, based on the tegafur dose, against uterine cervical cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study consisted of a retrospective analysis. From April 1986 to March 1997, 309 patients with uterine cervical cancer were registered. Oral UFT was administered to 162 patients for maintenance therapy after an initial treatment (the UFT group). The other 147 patients were not treated with UFT (the control group). The survival rate was calculated for both groups and statistically analyzed using the log-rank test. Adverse events were compared between the UFT and control groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the UFT group, 103 patients (63.6%) received UFT for ≥90 days. The drug dose was 600 mg/day for 137 patients (84.6%) and 300 to 400 mg/day for the remainder. The overall survival rate was significantly higher in the UFT group than in the control group (p<0.05). The prognosis was particularly favorable in stage III cases, in cases of squamous cell carcinoma, and in cases that were treated by radiotherapy. The most frequent side effects were nausea/vomiting (12.2%), appetite loss (10.1%), and leukopenia/neutropenia (5.8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High-dose oral UFT maintenance treatment prolonged the disease-free survival and overall survival of patients with uterine cervical cancer, particularly of those with advanced disease.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kumamoto University Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto, Japan. isakakuh@gmail.com.
authors: Isao
authors: I
authors: Sakaguchi
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kumamoto University Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors: Takeshi
authors: T
authors: Motohara
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kumamoto University Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors: Fumitaka
authors: F
authors: Saito
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kumamoto University Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors: Kiyomi
authors: K
authors: Takaishi
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Japanese Red Cross Kumamoto Hospital, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors: Yukitoshi
authors: Y
authors: Fukumatsu
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kumamoto Rosai Hospital, Yatsushiro, Japan.
authors: Toshimitsu
authors: T
authors: Tohya
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Arao Municipal Hospital, Arao, Japan.
authors: Saburo
authors: S
authors: Shibata
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Hospital Organization Kumamoto Medical Center, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors: Hiroyuki
authors: H
authors: Mimori
authors: School & Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kumamoto University Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors: Hironori
authors: H
authors: Tashiro
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kumamoto University Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors: Hidetaka
authors: H
authors: Katabuchi
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D005641:Tegafur / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014498:Uracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality
chemical_list: D005641:Tegafur; D014498:Uracil
keywords: Follow-up Studies; Maintenance Chemotherapy; Survival Rate; Tegafur; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms