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
Hotta, T.; Takifuji, K.; Arii, K.; Yokoyama, S.; Matsuda, K.; Higashiguchi, T.; Tominaga, T.; Oku, Y.; Yamaue, H.
Anticancer Research 26(2b): 1425-1432
2006
ISSN/ISBN: 0250-7005 PMID: 16619554 Document Number: 604494
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 I-LVI54 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.