抄録
Various multidrug combination chemotherapy regimens with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) as a basic drug are administered for unresectable advanced/recurrent colorectal cancer. S-1/CPT-11 treatment with tegafur/gimeracil/oteracil potassium (S-1), an oral derivative of fluorouracil (5-FU), and irinotecan (CPT-11), a DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor, which have different mechanisms of action, is expected to exert a therapeutic effect. However, the safety and feasibility of this therapy in elderly patients have not yet been well established. In this study, we retrospectively examined the safety and feasibility of S-1/CPT-11 therapy in elderly patients. Regarding safety, the neutrophil counts showed significantly milder decreases with S-1/CPT-11 therapy (Group A) than with standard-dose S-1/CPT-11 therapy (IRIS) (Group B)(P = 0.045). The severity of these decreases tended to be high, especially in Group B. Regarding the feasibility of therapy, the relative dose intensity decreased in Group B with values of 90.1 and 74.4 Groups A and B, respectively (P = 0.002). The median progression free survival did not differ significantly, with respective values of 4.5 and 4.6 months in Groups A and B. These results suggest high-level safety and feasibility, as well as favorable tolerability, of S-1/CPT-11 as a third-line therapy in clinical practice. Further examination of the effects on elderly patients is required.
