A combination of 5-fluorouracil and thymidine in advanced colorectal carcinoma

Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 1984;13(3):218-22. doi: 10.1007/BF00269033.

Abstract

Concurrent administration of thymidine (TdR) has been shown to increase the antitumor activity of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in various experimental models. The clinical response rate, side-effects, and toxicity of 5-FU and TdR were evaluated in 27 patients with advanced colorectal carcinomas. Each 6-day treatment course consisted of an IV loading dose of TdR (405 mg/kg, over 30 min), followed by continuous IV infusions of 5-FU (7.5 mg/kg per day for 5 days), and TdR (216 mg/kg per day for 6 days); courses were repeated every 4 weeks. The overall partial response rate was 4.5%, or 16.7% in patients with no prior 5-FU chemotherapy. Short-lived stable disease was seen at an overall rate of 27.3%, half of these patients with prior 5-FU chemotherapy. Myelotoxicity occurred in 64% of the patients, but this was dose-limiting in only 20%. Gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms were mild and infrequent. There was one case of treatment-related death due to sepsis secondary to leukopenia. It is concluded that the concurrent IV administration of 5-FU and TdR does not improve the response rate over that obtained with 5-FU alone.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols
  • Bone Marrow / drug effects*
  • Colonic Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Drug Synergism
  • Female
  • Fluorouracil / administration & dosage*
  • Fluorouracil / adverse effects
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Rectal Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Thymidine / administration & dosage*
  • Thymidine / adverse effects

Substances

  • Fluorouracil
  • Thymidine