Prescrire international
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Prescrire international · Feb 2011
ReviewAdjuvant chemotherapy for localised colon cancer. Fluorouracil + folinic acid for node-positive, non-metastatic disease.
The standard treatment for colon cancer is surgical excision. Adjuvant chemotherapy is intended to reduce the risk of relapse, which is responsible for the death of nearly half of all patients treated surgically for localised disease. After surgery for stage III disease (node involvement without metastases), the 5-year survival rate is about 63% with adjuvant chemotherapy combining fluorouracil and folinic acid, versus 51% with placebo, a statistically significant difference. ⋯ No new drugs intended for the treatment of colon cancer have been introduced since 2006, but better evaluation of existing drugs means that patients with stage III colorectal cancer can now be offered a choice between standard intravenous fluorouracil and oral capecitabine or tegafur. Oxaliplatin adjunction is another option for patients under 65. The adverse effect profile is an important factor in the choice of treatment.