TY - JOUR T1 - Gemcitabine and Protracted 5-Fluorouracil Infusion as Third-line Chemotherapy in Refractory Colorectal Cancer Patients JF - Anticancer Research JO - Anticancer Res SP - 3055 LP - 3060 VL - 28 IS - 5B AU - RAFFAELLA BITOSSI AU - CARLA MARIA SCULLI AU - MARCO TAMPELLINI AU - IRENE ALABISO AU - MARIA PIA BRIZZI AU - ANNA FERRERO AU - AZZURRA OTTONE AU - ELISA BELLINI AU - GABRIELLA GORZEGNO AU - ALFREDO BERRUTI AU - LUIGI DOGLIOTTI Y1 - 2008/09/01 UR - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/28/5B/3055.abstract N2 - Background: There is no standard treatment for patients with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) progressing after irinotecan and oxaliplatin treatment and having good performance status (PS). Patients and Methods: We investigated gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 days 1, 8 and 15 q28d combined with protracted 5-fluorouracil continuous infusion at 200 mg/m2/day, in 37 consecutive patients progressing after oxaliplatin-irinotecan-containing chemotherapies. Results: Partial response (PR) was achieved in 4 (10.8%) and disease stabilization (SD) in 19 (51.4%) cases (PR+SD: 62.2%). Median time to progression and survival were 4.2 and 8.9 months, respectively. Grade III toxicities were thrombocytopenia, neutropenia (in 3 patients) and mucositis (in 2 patients). Clinical benefit was observed in 18 patients (48.6% of the entire population; 64.3% of those patients with PS>0 at study entry). Conclusion: The combination of gemcitabine and 5-fluorouracil continuous infusion was found to be an active and manageable palliative regimen for heavily pre-treated patients with metastatic CRC. Copyright© 2008 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved ER -