Advanced colorectal cancer: quality of life and toxicity in patients after weekly 24-hour continuous infusions of biomodulated 5-fluorouracil

• Published in: Anticancer research Vol. 20; no. 1B; p. 501
• Main Authors: Bogliolo, G, Pannacciulli, I, Desalvo, L, Barsotti, B, Lerza, R, Mencoboni, M, Arboscello, E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Greece 01-01-2000
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma - drug therapy; Adenocarcinoma - pathology; Adenocarcinoma - psychology; Aged; Ambulatory Care - economics; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic - administration & dosage; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic - adverse effects; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic - therapeutic use; Bone Marrow Diseases - chemically induced; Bone Marrow Diseases - prevention & control; Colorectal Neoplasms - drug therapy; Colorectal Neoplasms - pathology; Colorectal Neoplasms - psychology; Female; Fluorouracil - administration & dosage; Fluorouracil - adverse effects; Fluorouracil - therapeutic use; Humans; Infusion Pumps, Implantable - economics; Infusions, Intravenous; Leucovorin - therapeutic use; Male; Neoplasm Metastasis; Quality of Life; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0250-7005

It is generally agreed that chemotherapy prolongs survival and relieves symptoms more than the best supportive care in advanced colorectal cancer. Since its introduction over 35 years ago, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has been the only effective chemotherapeutic option available for the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer. Efforts have focused on the use of various 5-FU-based regimens. A commonly used regimen, frequently extolled as the "gold standard" for clinical trials in advanced colorectal cancer, is the Mayo Clinic regimen; this option has, however, been associated with considerable dose-limiting toxicity. Another approach has involved 5-FU administration by continuous intravenous infusion. In this paper we present our experience on 10 Dukes D colorectal cancer patients treated with 24-hour continuous infusion of biomodulated 5-FU delivered in an ambulatory setting with an intravenous infusional pump. The number of treated patients was admittedly not sufficient to evaluate the clinical response of this 5-FU chemotherapeutic regimen. This is not the goal of our work; however, other rationale for adopting this approach is justified: the regimen has a favourable toxicity profile and can provide considerable benefit in terms of improved quality of life while at the same time the health care costs are alleviated since hospitalization is generally not required.