METASTATIC OR LOCALLY ADVANCED COLORECTAL-CANCER TREATED WITH 5-FLUOROURACIL AND LOW-DOSE LEUCOVORIN

Eighty-one patients,vith metastatic or locally advanced colorectal can cer were treated at four oncological centers in Denmark with a regimen consisting of 5-fluorouracil 400 mg/m(2) and leucovorin 20 mg/m(2) fo r 5 consecutive days every 4 weeks. The response rate was 21% among al l 81 patients (CR 3, PR 14). The median survival was 10 months regardl ess of measurability, sex and location of disease. Toxicity was mild, 6 (7%) patients were excluded from the study due to gastrointestinal s ide-effects and 15 (19%) patients had the 5-FU dose reduced due to sid e-effects. The results are comparable to those of other studies using different doses of leucovorin.