[Clinical study of ambulatory cancer chemotherapy for advanced colorectal cancer]

To evaluate ambulatory cancer chemotherapy, the clinical response, toxicities and survival time were analysed among 32 patients with non-curative or recurrent colorectal cancer who were treated by l-Leucovorin (l-LV) plus 5-fluorouracil for the past four years. Twenty-nine patients were treated with 5-FU (370 mg/m2) plus l-LV (10-100 mg/m2) for 5 consecutive days and a 23-day interval between treatments. Three patients were treated with l-LV (250 mg/m2) administered as a two-hour infusion and 5-FU (600 mg/m2) intravenous push midinfusion weekly for 6 weeks of an 8-week cycle. Partial response (PR) was observed in 9 patients (28%), no change (NC) in 18. One-year survival ratio was 61% and 4 of 32 patients survived at the end of this study. The median survival time was 14 months. Although stomatitis, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, leukopenia and pigmentation were noted, no severe side effects were observed. These results suggested that l-LV plus 5-FU therapy might be a useful ambulatory cancer chemotherapy for patients with advanced colorectal cancer.