The Optimal Volume of Medicinal Solution in the Portable Disposable Infusion Pump (SUREFUSER^®A) for FOLFOX6, FOLFIRI Therapy of Colorectal Cancer Patients

Abstract

  Oxaliplatin, established as a therapeutic standard globally for advanced/recurrent colorectal cancer, was approved in Japan in April 2005. With this approval the FOLFOX and FOLFIRI regimens are often selected now as 1st or 2nd line treatment for advanced/recurrent colorectal cancer. Patients receiving these regimens needed to be hospitalized, because the total treatment period was as long as 48 hours. However, the patient who hoped for staying at home has become possible to spend more time at home by using a portable disposable infusion pump (SUREFUSER^® A) for continuous intravenous infusion of 5FU. The duration of continuous 5FU infusion is set at an average of 46 hours, however, large variations are observed in the duration of infusion. Due to limitation of time of a patient, there was a case that finished injection on the way. On the contrary, there was a case that finished in a much shorter time than the pre-designated 46 hours. In an attempt to resolve this problem, we analyzed the relation of the total volume of the medicinal solution in SUREFUSER^® A and the duration of infusion by regression analysis. The results revealed that it might be possible to bring the total infusion time to close to 48 hours by finding the most suitable volume for continuous 5FU infusion over 46 hours.