Results of using tegafur in combination with irinotecan and oxaliplatin in patients with advanced colorectal cancer

Abstract

A study that enrolled 30 patients with advanced colorectal cancer, who had not previously received any specific drug treatment, was conducted to develop and study a three-component regimen with oral fluoropyrimidine tegafur (Ftorafur) in outpatient practice. The study evaluated the time to disease progression (TDP), the overall survival (OS) of patients, who received irinotecan + oxaliplatin + Ftorafur in the first-line therapy, as well as the effectiveness and safety of this regimen. 6 patients received a 3-week chemotherapy cycle (Fig. 1), 24 patients – a 2-week chemotherapy cycle (Fig. 2). The preliminary results of the study have been obtained. The median OS was not reached, the median TDP was 8.5 months. In Group I, there was partial regression of metastasis in 3/6 patients, and prolonged disease stabilization (≥ 6 months) in 3 patients. The therapeutic effect (partial remission + long-term stabilization ≥ 6 months) was observed in all patients. The duration of TDP was from 6 to 15 months. In group II, the effect was evaluated in 24 patients, who received at least 2 chemotherapy cycles. 14/24 patients had a partial response (PR), of which 4 (16.6%) patients were radically operated, 6 patients elicited disease stabilization. Thus, control over the disease was achieved in 83.33% of patients in Group II. Oxaliplatin combined with irinotecan and fluorafur was effective, had an acceptable toxicity profile, and therefore, can be used in debilitated patients with disseminated disease.

Keywords

• colorectal cancer
• chemotherapy
• irinotecan
• oxaliplatin
• ftorafur
• first-line therapy