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Treatment of advanced gastrointestinal cancer with 5‐fluorouracil and mitomycin C
Author(s) -
Krauss Stephen,
Sonoda Takuo,
Solomon Alan
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197905)43:5<1598::aid-cncr2820430505>3.0.co;2-y
Subject(s) - medicine , gastroenterology , toxicity , cancer , anemia , surgery , regimen , gastrointestinal cancer , fluorouracil , colorectal cancer
Fifty‐one patients with metastatic and/or recurrent gastrointestinal cancer received a regimen of continuous 5‐fluorouracil infusion and mitomycin C. Among patients with colorectal cancer, 9 (33%) showed tumor regression, 10 showed objective tumor response <50%, and 3 were evaluated as stable. While the median response duration of 5 months was relatively brief, 7 patients survived for 1 year or more and one is still alive >22 months after the onset of treatment. Three of 9 patients with gastric cancer were responders, one complete. The median survival was 11 months; 3 patients survived for 1 year or more, one for 21 months from the initiation of therapy. Half of 8 patients with pancreatic cancer showed some objective response, 3 with >50% tumor regression. Duration of response in these 3 cases is 5+, 10, and 10+ months. In our series, mild to moderate hematologic toxicity was encountered in 63% and tended to be cumulative. There were no serious infections, and 2 instances of prolonged thrombocytopenia. Partial alopecia developed in most patients; gastrointestinal toxicity was minimal. That this combination may cause pulmonary toxicity was suggested by the development of severe respiratory insufficiency without apparent cause in 3 patients, all of which had at least 2 cycles of treatment. A transient response to corticosteroids was obtained. One patient, free of tumor at autopsy, demonstrated a glomerular lesion previously described with mitomycin C toxicity, while 2 others developed a micro‐angiopathic hemolytic anemia.