High-dose folinic acid (FA) and fluorouracil (FU) plus or minus thymostimulin (TS) for treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer: results of a randomized multicenter clinical trial

Anticancer Res. 1994 Mar-Apr;14(2B):617-9.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the possible protective effect of thymostimulin (TS) on chemotherapy-induced leukopenia and related febrile episodes, beside the potential of improving therapeutic efficacy and tolerability of high-dose folinic acid (FA) plus fluorouracil (FU) in metastatic colorectal cancer. In 211 evaluable patients the objective responses were 19/105 (18%) in the FA-FU arm versus 32/106 (30%) obtained with the same regimen plus TS. The difference was statistically significant (p = 0.02). No difference was observed in terms of hematological toxicity, while the TS treated patients experienced a significantly lower incidence of mucositis and diarrhoea (p = 0.03). No significant differences were recorded in the incidence of febrile episodes and other treatment-related toxicities. The possibility of improving response to chemotherapy in advanced colorectal cancer without increasing systemic toxicity is particularly interesting and deserves further attention.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study
  • Multicenter Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Colorectal Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Diarrhea / chemically induced
  • Female
  • Fluorouracil / adverse effects
  • Fluorouracil / therapeutic use*
  • Humans
  • Leucovorin / therapeutic use*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Thymus Extracts / adverse effects
  • Thymus Extracts / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Thymus Extracts
  • thymostimulin
  • Leucovorin
  • Fluorouracil