Chemotherapy Delivery Route Does Not Affect Colon Cancer Survival

Reuters Health-May 18, 2004

Following surgical resection of colon cancer, the route of delivery of chemotherapy does not seem to influence survival, new research indicates. The findings are based on a study of 1084 patients who underwent resection of colon cancer and were randomized to receive 5-FU-based adjuvant chemotherapy delivered systemically (SY), intraportally (IP), or by both routes.

The current report is published in the May 19th issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

During a median follow-up period of more than 8 years, 389 adverse events, including recurrences, second malignancies, or deaths, were observed, Dr. Roldano Fossati, from Istituto Mario Negri in Milan, Italy, and colleagues note. A total of 361 patients died. 

No differences were noted between the groups in the site of first recurrence, the authors point out. Most importantly, the overall and event-free survival rates for the groups were similar-around 74% and 68%, respectively.

"To our knowledge, this is the largest study of patients with colon cancer that has compared the efficacy of adjuvant 5-FU-based chemotherapy" delivered by these methods, the investigators state. The main finding "is that the combination of IP/SY did not provide an additive benefit and, in fact, was similar to" that seen with each of the individual routes.