Phase I study of oral uracil and Tegafur plus leucovorin and pelvic radiation in patients with recurrent rectal cancer

A phase I study of oral UFT/leucovorin and irinotecan, plus radiation for locally recurrent rectal cancer

Objectives: The aim of this phase I study is to identify the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended dose (RD) of CPT-11 in combination with UFT/LV and radiation in patients with locally recurrent rectal cancer. Methods: Patients with histologically proven rectal cancer with local recurrence were eligible for this study. Escalating doses of CPT-11 (30-60 mg/m²) were administered on days 3, 10, 24, and 31. UFT (300 mg/m²) and LV (75 mg/body) were given on days 1-5, 8-12, 22-26, and 29-33. Radiotherapy doses consisted of 50 Gy in daily fractions of 2.0 Gy each, 5 times per week, for total 5 weeks. Results: We recruited 27 patients, and the MTD of CPT-11 was 60 mg/m² due to the occurrence of dose-limiting toxicity of grade 3 diarrhea. Major grade 3 adverse events were neutropenia (5/27; 18.5%) and diarrhea (6/27; 22.2%). No grade 4 adverse event was observed throughout this treatment. Conclusions: The combined chemoradiotherapy with oral UFT/LV plus CPT-11 is feasible and promising. The recommended dose for further phase II trials is determined to be 50 mg/m² of CPT-11.

ESMO Consensus Guidelines for management of patients with colon and rectal cancer. a personalized approach to clinical decision making

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common tumour type in both sexes combined in Western countries. Although screening programmes including the implementation of faecal occult blood test and colonoscopy might be able to reduce mortality by removing precursor lesions and by making diagnosis at an earlier stage, the burden of disease and mortality is still high. Improvement of diagnostic and treatment options increased staging accuracy, functional outcome for early stages as well as survival. Although high quality surgery is still the mainstay of curative treatment, the management of CRC must be a multi-modal approach performed by an experienced multi-disciplinary expert team. Optimal choice of the individual treatment modality according to disease localization and extent, tumour biology and patient factors is able to maintain quality of life, enables long-term survival and even cure in selected patients by a combination of chemotherapy and surgery. Treatment decisions must be based on the available evidence, which has been the basis for this consensus conference-based guideline delivering a clear proposal for diagnostic and treatment measures in each stage of rectal and colon cancer and the individual clinical situations. This ESMO guideline is recommended to be used as the basis for treatment and management decisions.

High-dose radiotherapy and concurrent UFT plus l-leucovorin in locally advanced rectal cancer: a phase I trial

A phase I trial of preoperative high dose pelvic radiotherapy and oral UFT/l-leucovorin in patients with locally advanced and unresectable rectal cancer patients to evaluate toxicity and efficacy was performed. Eighteen patients (14 with primary unresectable tumours and four with locally recurrent tumours) were treated. All patients were evaluable for acute toxicity and efficacy. Patients received increasing doses of UFT (150 to 300 mg/m2/day UFT and a fixed dose of 22.5 mg/day l-leucovorin) with each fraction, five days a week for 30 days, concomitantly with pelvic radiotherapy (60 Gy in 30 fractions using concomitant boost technique). All patients received the planned dose of radiotherapy. No hematological toxicity was observed. Only one patient developed grade 3 toxicity (diarrhea). Fourteen patients (78%) had surgery (11 R0 and 3 R1) after median 40 days. Two patients (11%) had a complete pathological response. Ten patients are alive after median follow-up of 49 months. Toxicity, resection rate and survival are very encouraging and the study continues as a phase II trial.

UFT (tegafur-uracil) in rectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Major achievements in the treatment of localised rectal cancer include the development of total mesorectal excision and the perioperative administration of radiotherapy in combination with continuous infusion (CI) 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). This multimodal approach has resulted in extended survival and lower local relapse rates, with the potential for sphincter-preserving procedures. However, CI 5-FU is inconvenient for patients and is costly. Oral fluoropyrimidines like UFT (tegafur-uracil) offer a number of advantages over 5-FU.

METHODS

We undertook a review of published articles and abstracts relating to clinical studies of UFT in the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Pre- and postoperative studies carried out in patients with newly diagnosed or recurrent disease were included.

RESULTS

The combination of UFT and radiotherapy was effective and well tolerated in the preoperative setting, while adjuvant UFT improved survival and reduced distant relapse compared with surgery alone. The efficacy of UFT appears comparable with that of 5-FU and capecitabine and its side-effect profile is favourable.

CONCLUSION

Clinical experience to date suggests that UFT is a valuable treatment option for the perioperative treatment of LARC. Further improvements in patient outcomes may result from the combination of UFT with targeted agents.

Preliminary results of phase I trial of oral uracil/tegafur (UFT), leucovorin plus irinotecan and radiation therapy for patients with locally recurrent rectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Surgical attempts for locally recurrent rectal cancer often fail due to local re-recurrence and distant metastasis. Preoperative chemoradiation may enhance better local control and survival. The aim of this study was to assess the safety of oral uracil and tegafur (UFT) plus leucovorin (LV), and irinotecan combined with radiation and determine the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) and dose limiting toxicity (DLT) of the triple drug regimen.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with locally recurrent rectal cancer received escalating doses of irinotecan on days 1, 8, 15, and 22 (starting at 30 mg/m2, with 10 mg increments between consecutive cohorts) and fixed doses of UFT (300 mg/m2) plus LV (75 mg/day) on days 3 to 7, 10 to 14, 17 to 21, and 24 to 28. Radiation was given 5 days per week totaling 40 to 50 Gy (2Gy/day).

RESULTS

Six patients were treated at the starting dose, and 2 received the full scheduled chemoradiotherapy. The other 4 patients had grade 3 diarrhea and diarrhea was the DLT. One patient had partial response and he had subsequently radical surgical resection. Median progression free survival for local recurrence was 320 days.

CONCLUSION

Irinotecan plus UFT/LV with concomitant radiotherapy in patients with locally recurrent rectal cancer was not feasible due to diarrhea in this setting. Modification of the treatment is needed.

Chemoradiation with raltitrexed (Tomudex) in preoperative treatment of stage II-III resectable rectal cancer: a phase II study

PURPOSE

To evaluate the impact of preoperative chemoradiation with raltitrexed (Tomudex(1)) on tumor response, sphincter preservation, and toxicity in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Between 1998 and 2002, 54 consecutive patients with Stage T3 or T2N+ resectable rectal carcinoma were treated with preoperative chemoradiation, i.v. bolus of raltitrexed on Days 1, 19, and 38 and concurrent 50 Gy external beam radiotherapy. Surgery was performed 6-8 weeks after the end of chemoradiation.

RESULTS

No patients had Grade 4 acute toxicity. Grade 3 acute toxicity occurred in 16.6% of cases and was hematologic in 6 patients and GI in 2. The overall clinical response rate was 88.8%, with a complete response in 5.5%, partial response in 83.3%, and no change in 9.2%. No patient showed disease progression. All patients underwent surgery. Sphincter saving was obtained in 83.3% of patients. No perioperative mortality occurred, and the perioperative morbidity rate was 5.5%. Of 20 resected patients (37%) who were candidates for abdominoperineal resection at diagnosis (anorectal ring distance < or =30 mm), 13 (65%) underwent a sphincter-saving procedure. At pathologic examination, 13 (24%) of 54 patients had a complete pathologic response (pT0) and 10 (18.5%) had rare isolated residual cancer cells (pT, microscopic foci). Overall, 42.5% had major downstaging. The tumor regression grade (TRG), using Mandard's score system, was also applied and was TRG1 in 13 patients, TRG2 in 11, TRG3 in 20, and TRG4 in 10 patients; no patient had TRG5.

CONCLUSION

The use of raltitrexed in a neoadjuvant chemoradiation schedule promoted high pathologic tumor downstaging and use of a sphincter-saving procedure. The low toxicity profile supports the rationale to explore raltitrexed combined with other drugs with different biologic targets.

Four Decades of Continuing Innovation With Fluorouracil: Current and Future Approaches to Fluorouracil Chemoradiation Therapy

Purpose

Chemoradiotherapy, the combination of external radiation therapy and concurrent chemotherapy, has been the basis for the oncologic management of many patients since its development in the 1960s. Fluorouracil (FU) chemoradiotherapy has demonstrated success in several organ sites with multiple dosing schedules that now guide the selection of oral analogs of FU to provide new chemoradiotherapy options.

Methods

This article reviews the metabolism and pharmacology of FU and the advantages of administration of FU by continuous infusion or bolus. The potential role and impact of the oral fluorouracil prodrugs UFT, S-1, BOF-A2, and capecitabine as replacements for intravenous administration are discussed. The results of recent chemoradiotherapy studies with FU from 2000 to 2003 are summarized in rectal, head and neck, esophageal, gastric, pancreatic, biliary, anal, and cervical cancers.

Results

Chemoradiotherapy with FU has the potential to widen the therapeutic window by minimizing normal tissue toxicity while maintaining effective tumor toxicity. Overall, FU chemoradiotherapy maximizes local control and, for some tumor sites (such as head and neck, pancreatic, biliary, cervical, esophageal, and gastric cancers), improves survival rates. Moreover, FU chemoradiotherapy results in improved organ preservation with excellent functional outcome in several anatomic sites including head and neck cancer, anal, and rectal cancer, with improved sphincter preservation.

Conclusion

FU chemoradiotherapy continues to play an important role in the management of many cancer sites. During the last four decades, optimal dosing schedules have produced a therapeutic gain. The introduction of oral prodrug analogs will likely further improve the results of FU therapy in several organ systems, such as the rectum, head and neck, and esophagus.