[A case of metastatic submandibular lymphnode treated successfully with palliative oral (5-FU + PSK) chemotherapy in...

The patient was a 87-year-old woman diagnosed as type 2 advanced colon cancer in the ascending colon. The patient underwent right hemicolectomy. The pathological diagnosis showed poorly-differentiated adenocarcinoma, si, ly2, v1, n0 (0/41) and Stage IIIa. The postoperative course was uneventful, and she was discharged on POD 23. But a left submandibular lymph node enlarged rapidly within two months after the operation. Aspiration cytology of the lymph node indicated poorly-differentiated adenocarcinoma, and she was diagnosed as recurrent colon cancer. Combined chemotherapy of 5-FU (200 mg/day/po) and PSK (3.0 g/day/po) was started as palliative chemotherapy. The metastatic lymph nodes were reduced in size within two months after the treatment. Oral administration of 5-FU+PSK succeeded without serious adverse effects or worsening of quality of life. Ten months later, no recurrence was detected on physical examination or computed tomography. We conclude that palliative oral (5-FU+PSK) chemotherapy is useful for recurrent colon cancer in the elderly because of its excellent safety and effectiveness.