Clinical Impact of Adjuvant Chemotherapy on Patients with Stage III Colorectal Cancer: l-LV/5FU Chemotherapy as a Modified RPMI Regimen is an Independent Prognostic Factor for Survival

• Published in: Anticancer research Vol. 26; no. 2B; p. 1425
• Main Authors: Hotta, Tsukasa, Takifuji, Katsunari, Arii, Kazuo, Yokoyama, Shozo, Matsuda, Kenji, Higashiguchi, Takashi, Tominaga, Toshiji, Oku, Yoshimasa, Yamaue, Hiroki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Greece International Institute of Anticancer Research 01-03-2006
• Subjects: Aged; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - adverse effects; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; Colorectal Neoplasms - drug therapy; Colorectal Neoplasms - pathology; Colorectal Neoplasms - surgery; Disease-Free Survival; Female; Fluorouracil - administration & dosage; Fluorouracil - adverse effects; Humans; Leucovorin - administration & dosage; Leucovorin - adverse effects; Male; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Neoplasm Staging
• ISSN: 0250-7005; 1791-7530

Background: Patients with stage III colorectal cancer have a substantial risk of microscopic metastatic disease at the time
of resection. Treatment with leucovorin (LV)/5-Fluorouracil (5FU) has been demonstrated to be effective for advanced colorectal
cancer; however, the clinical impact of l-LV/5FU is still unclear. l-LV/5FU for patients with stage III colorectal cancer
may play an important role, as an adjuvant chemotherapy, in improving survival. Patients and Methods: The clinicopathological
features of 36 patients receiving adjuvant l-LV/54 administration and 16 not, univariate analysis of potential predictors
of overall survival and disease-free survival, relative risk of overall survival and disease-free survival by multivariate
analysis and the occurrence of chemotherapy-induced toxic effects were studied in 52 patients with stage III colorectal cancer,
including 30 with rectal and 22 with colon cancer, who had undergone surgery. Results: No significant differences were found
in the clinicopathological features of the 2 groups. On univariate analysis, there were no significant differences in overall
survival in either group; disease-free survival in patients with adjuvant l-LV/5FU was longer than that in patients without
it (p<0.001). Moreover, multivariate analysis demonstrated that l-LV/5FU adjuvant chemotherapy was an independent prognostic
factor in terms of disease-free survival (p=0.001; RR, 17.492; 95% CI, 3.298-92.778). Conclusion: l-LV/5FU adjuvant chemotherapy
in patients with stage III colorectal cancer is important as an independent prognostic factor in terms of disease-free survival.