Oral fluoropyrimidine-based combination therapy in gastrointestinal cancer.

Significant emphasis has been placed recently on designing more effective fluorouracil (5-FU)-based combination protocols for gastrointestinal cancer. Promising results were seen with 5-FU/leucovorin in combination with irinotecan (Camptosar) or oxaliplatin (Eloxatin), especially in colorectal cancer. Clinical trials of UFT, with or without leucovorin, demonstrate the safety of this regimen and an efficacy comparable to that of bolus 5-FU/leucovorin in the treatment of gastrointestinal tumors. Two large randomized phase III trials of capecitabine (Xeloda) showed that capecitabine also offers a convenient alternative to bolus 5-FU/leucovorin with a superior safety profile and at least equivalent antitumor activity.