Anticancer research
-
Anticancer research · Nov 1998
ReviewAdvanced head and neck cancer and clinical experience of an effective new agent: docetaxel.
Docetaxel is a taxoid cytotoxic agent known to have considerable clinical activity in a broad range of malignancies. A series of phase I/II studies have been performed to elucidate its toxicity and antitumor activity in advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. DOCETAXEL AS FIRST-LINE MONOTHERAPY: Docetaxel administered at 100 mg/m2 as a 1-hour infusion every 3-4 weeks initiated an overall response of 27-42% for a duration of 5-6.5 months in patients with recurrent locoregional or metastatic disease. These results compare favourably with other single-agents in this setting. ⋯ Docetaxel appears to have substantial antitumour activity in advanced head and neck cancer and further studies are justified to determine its full role in the management of this disease.
-
Anticancer research · Nov 1998
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialPostoperative adjuvant chemotherapy with 1-hexylcarbamoyl-5-fluorouracil in patients with colorectal cancer and at a high risk for recurrence.
We examined the effects of postoperative 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) infusions and oral treatment with 1-hexylcarbamoyl-5-fluorouracil (HCFU) on patients curatively resected for stages II-IV colorectal cancer. The study was prospectively randomized, and 251 (93.3%) of 269 patients were valid candidates for statistical assessment. The inductive regimen for group A included 5-FU 10 mg intravenous (i.v.) injections on days 0, 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9, postoperatively. ⋯ There was no statistical difference in survival time between the groups for 251 eligible cases (p = 0.079). In group A given 5-FU plus HCFU, there was a reduction in the recurrence rate for patients with stages III-IV or lymph node metastasis-positive colorectal cancers (p < 0.05) and prolongation of the survival time for patients with stage III-IV, transmural invasion-positive or lymph node-positive colorectal cancers (p < 0.05). Our findings show that the combination of 5-FU infusion and the continuous administration of HCFU is effective in treating patients with surgically resected colorectal cancer who are at high risk for a recurrence.