ISSN:
1530-0358
Keywords:
Colorectal cancer
;
Dukes C
;
Adjuvant therapy
;
Interferon-α 2b
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract PURPOSE: To determine whether interferon-α 2b can improve results of 5-fluorouracil adjuvant treatment of Dukes C colorectal cancer patients, we compared the outcome of patients receiving a fluorouracil-interferon combination to that of historic controls treated with fluorouracil alone. METHODS: Fifty-seven Dukes C colorectal cancer patients were given 5-fluorouracil-interferon-α in2b adjuvant treatment from October 1986 to September 1990. The results were compared with those obtained in 51 consecutive patients treated at the same institutions with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) alone (used at the same doses and schedule) between 1983 and 1986. The main prognostic variables were similar in the two groups. RESULTS: No life-threatening toxicity occurred in either group. The addition of interferon (IFN) slighlty impaired tolerance to the treatment; however, the dose of IFN had to be reduced only in five patients and discontinued in one patient. Grade 3 and 4 myelotoxicity was rare and not substantially different in the two groups. Interferon-related side effects (fever, flu-like syndrome, malaise,etc.)were frequent, but, in general, mild or moderate. At the time of this analysis (July 1992), median followup was 49 (range, 20–70) months in the group of patients treated with 5-FU + IFN, and 86 (range, 68–103) months in the group receiving 5-FU alone. There were 17 recurrences and 15 cancer-related deaths among patients receiving combined treatment, and 27 deaths in the group treated with 5-FU alone. Both five-year relapse-free survival (65 percent vs.47 percent; P=0.043) and causespecific survival (64 percent vs.46 percent; P=0.038) were significantly better in the patients receiving combined treatment. After correction for the influence of prognostic pretreatment variables, 5-FU + IFN again afforded a significant advantage in terms of both relapse-free (P〈0.01) and overall survival (P〈0.001). CONCLUSION: 5-FU-IFN-α 2b treatment seems to improve the prognosis in Dukes C colorectal cancer patients.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02054406
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