Purpose: This retrospective study was performed to evaluate a survival benefit of the full administration of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), irinotecan (CPT-11), and oxaliplatin (L-OHP) to patients with unresectable or recurrent colorectal cancer.
Patients and methods: The subjects are 145 patients with unresectable or recurrent colorectal cancer who were given CPT-11 and/or L-OHP in addition to 5-FU. The overall survival times of these patients were evaluated.
Results: The median survival time (MST) was significantly longer in patients treated with three drugs (n=72) than patients treated with two drugs (n =73) (31.6 months versus 18.4 months, p<0.01). When analysis was restricted to patients treated with three drugs, there was no significant difference in MST between patients who were given L-OHP followed by CPT-11 (n=18) and those treated with these two drugs in reverse order (n=54) (p=0.67).
Conclusions: Compared with the use of 5-FU in combination with CPT-11 or L-OHP, a full administration of three drugs may have a more beneficial impact on patients' survival and irrespective of the order of administering CPT-11/L-OHP.