Clinico - epidemiological pattern and survival in colorectal cancer: an inter institutional comparative study

Seventy-four patients with colorectal cancer were treated at King Abdul-Aziz Hospital and Oncology Center [KAAH], Jeddah, as well as 105 patients were treated at National Cancer Institute [NCI], Cairo. Surgery in the form of hemicolectomy or anterior resection was performed for patients with colon cancer and abdominoperineal resection [AP] or low anterior resection [LAR] for rectal cancer. Adjuvant 5-FU based chemotherapy was used for one year in addition to postoperative radiotherapy to patients at high risk of recurrence. The patients were followed up for a median of 27 and 29 months for KAAH and NCI patients, respectively. It was apparent that colorectal cancer occurred at a younger age among Egyptian population. There was a survival advantage for NCI patients, particularly females with early stage cancer rectum and particularly who have undergone low anterior resection. This subset of patients at KAAH had an exceptionally older age compared with their correspondings at NCI, a factor, which might compromise the choice of surgery for those patients. It was recommended that surgery should be optimized irrespective of age, gender or stage of the disease with a better utilization of the different diagnostic modalities as well as adjuvant therapies to achieve the highest control and survival for this disease

Phase II multicenter study of irinotecan and 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin as a front line therapy in advanced colorectal carcinoma

This multicenter phase II study was designed to assess the efficacy and tolerability of the combination of irinotecan with bolus 5-FU and calcium leucovorin [LV] as a front line therapy for advanced colorectal cancer [CRC]. Patients with histologically proven advanced CRC and at least one measurable lesion, with age range 18-75 years, with a performance status of <2, normal baseline biochemical values and no prior chemotherapy [apart from adjuvant] were selected. The treatment regimen was formed of weekly CPT-11 [125 mg/m2] i.v. infusion, 5-FU [500 mg/m2] bolus i.v. and LV [20 mg/m2] i.v. for four weeks [two weeks, followed by two weeks rest, this constitute one cycle]. Treatment continued till either complete remission or disease progression or failure