Author/Editor		Štabuc, Borut
Title		Recent advances in the systemic therapy of colorectal cancer
Type		članek
Source		Gastroenterolog
Vol. and No.		Letnik 7, št. 1
Publication year		2003
Volume		str. 32-40
Language		eng
Abstract		Colorectal cancer represents a significant health problem in Europe. Although about fifty percent of patients are cured by surgery alone, the other half will eventually die due to metastatic disease, which includes approximately 25% of patients who have evidence of metastases at the time of diagnosis. A sixmonth adjuvant chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin in Dukes C colon cancer following curative resection has been shown to reduce the risk of recurrence by 19-40% and of death by 16-33%. The benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy for the patients with Dukes B colon cancer is less clear. A meta-analysis of 1,381 patients with advanced colorectal cancer showed a significant increase in response rate with the bolus 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin versus 5-fluorouracil alone, but no significant difference in median survival. Continuous infusion allows higher doses of 5-FU than rapid bolus infusion and improves response rate, survival and time to progression. Phase III randomized clinical trials in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer demonstrate the significant superiority of combining irinotecan with 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin or oxaliplatin with 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin over the same 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin alone.
Descriptors		COLORECTAL NEOPLASMS FLUOROURACIL LEUCOVORIN DISEASE PROGRESSION SURVIVAL ANALYSIS CHEMOTHERAPY, ADJUVANT INTERFERON TYPE I ANTIBODIES, MONOCLONAL PLATINUM COMPOUNDS CAMPTOTHECIN THYMIDYLATE SYNTHETASE