[Gastrointestinal tumors: chemotherapeutic preparations]

According to the unfavorable prognosis for patients who underwent surgical resection of gastrointestinal carcinoma, an additional systemic treatment is necessary, however chemotherapeutic results are still unsatisfactory. In advanced gastric carcinoma combination chemotherapy including 5-fluorouracil and adriamycin (FAMe, FAB, FAM) suggests response rates of 30-40% and a significantly prolonged median survival time of the responders compared to non-responders. Therefore cytostatic treatment should be tried under controlled conditions. Summarizing the treatment results of advanced colorectal carcinoma, combination chemotherapy did not exceed monotherapy with 5-fluorouracil. For the management of metastatic disease an attempt to reduce the tumor mass by 5-fluorouracil may be indicated. In non-responders nitrosoureas additionally should be given. In advanced pancreatic carcinomas the three drug combinations (e.g. FAM) obviously show similar response rates (about 40%) as in gastric carcinoma. However the treatment response is dependent on a favorable performance status.