European Journal of Cancer
Volume 36, Issue 5 , Pages 559-566 , March 2000

New directions in the treatment of colorectal cancer: a look to the future

  • A. Sobrero

      Affiliations

    • University of Udine, Italy
    • ,
  • D. Kerr

      Affiliations

    • CRC Institute for Cancer Studies, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
    • ,
  • B. Glimelius

      Affiliations

    • University of Uppsala, Sweden
    • ,
  • E. Van Cutsem

      Affiliations

    • University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium
    • ,
  • G. Milano

      Affiliations

    • Centre A. Lacassagne, Nice, France
    • ,
  • D.M. Pritchard

      Affiliations

    • University of Manchester, UK
    • ,
  • P. Rougier

      Affiliations

    • Hopital A. Paré, Boulogne, France
    • ,
  • M. Aapro

      Affiliations

    • European School of Oncology, Milan, Italy
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +41-22-366-9136; fax: +41-22-366-9131

Received 16 April 1999 ,Revised 8 November 1999 ,Accepted 19 November 1999.

References 

  1. Nordic Gastrointestinal Tumour Adjuvant Therapy Group. Expectancy or primary chemotherapy in patients with advanced asymptomatic colorectal cancer (a randomized trial). J. Clin. Oncol. 1992;10:904–911
  2. Sheithauer W, Rosen H, Kornek GV, Sebesta C, Depish D. Randomized comparison of combination chemotherapy plus supportive care with supportive care alone in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Br. Med. J. 1993;306:752–755
  3. Glimelius B, Hoffman K, Graf W, et al.  Cost-effectiveness of palliative chemotherapy in advanced gastrointestinal cancer. Ann. Oncol. 1995;6:267–274
  4. Rougier P, Laplanche A, Huguier M, et al.  Hepatic arterial infusion of floxouridine in patients with liver metastases from colorectal carcinoma (long-term results of a prospective randomized trial). J. Clin. Oncol. 1992;10:1112–1118
  5. Allen-Mersh TG, Earlam S, Fordy C, Abrams K, Houghton J. Quality of life and survival with continuous hepatic-artery floxouridine infusion for colorectal liver metastases. Lancet. 1994;344:1255–1260
  6. Glimelius B, Graf W, Hoffman K, Påhlman L, Sjı̈dén PO, Wennberg A. General condition of asymptomatic patients with advanced colorectal cancer receiving palliative chemotherapy (a longitudinal study). Acta Oncol. 1992;31:645–651
  7. Graf W, Glimelius B, Påhlman L, Bergstróm R. The relationship between an objective response to chemotherapy and survival in advanced colorectal cancer. Br. J. Cancer. 1994;70:559–563
  8. Fages B, Cote C, Gruia G, Jacques C, Awad L, Herait P. Tumor response and stabilization rates are worthwhile surrogate efficacy endpoints in metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). Analysis of data in 455 5-FU resistant patients treated with CPT-11. ASCO 1997, 1022.
  9. Nordic Gastrointestinal Tumour Adjuvant Therapy Group. Sequential methotrexate/5-fluorouracil/leucovorin (MFL) is superior to 5-fluorouracil alone in advanced symptomatic colorectal carcinoma. A randomized trial. J. Clin. Oncol. 1989;7:1437–1446
  10. Nordic Gastrointestinal Tumor Adjuvant Therapy Group. Biochemical modulation of 5-fluorouracil (a randomized comparison of sequential methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin versus sequential 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin in patients with advanced symptomatic colorectal cancer). Ann. Oncol. 1993;4:235–241
  11. Glimelius B, Hoffman K, Páhlman L, et al.  Monitoring palliative chemotherapy in advanced gastrointestinal cancer using serial tissue polypeptide antigen specific (TPS) measurements. Acta Oncol. 1996;35:141–148
  12. Von Hoff DD. There are no bad anticancer agents, only bad clinical trial designs. Clin. Cancer Res. 1998;4:1079–1086
  13. Ratain MJ. Development of target based antineoplastic agents. Educ Book ASCO 1999, 71–75.
  14. Johnston PG, Fisher ER, Rockette HE, et al.  The role of thymidylate synthase expression in prognosis and outcome of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with rectal cancer. J. Clin. Oncol. 1997;12:2640–2647
  15. Aschele C, Debernardis D, Casazza S, et al.  Immunohistochemical quantitation of thymidylate synthase expression in colorectal cancer metastases predicts for clinical outcome to fluorouracil-based chemotherapy. J. Clin. Oncol. 1999;17:1760–1770
  16. Dive C, Hickman JA. Drug target interactions (only the first step in the commitment to a programmed cell death). Br. J. Cancer. 1991;64:192–196
  17. Brett MC, Pickard N, Green B, et al.  p53 protein overexpression and response to biomodulated 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy in patients with advanced colorectal cancer. Eur. J. Surg. Oncol. 1996;2:182–185
  18. Potten CS. What is an apoptotic index measuring? A commentary. Br. J. Cancer. 1996;74:1743–1748
  19. Pritchard DM, Watson AJM. Apoptosis and gastrointestinal pharmacology. Pharmacol. Ther. 1996;72:149–169
  20. Jacobs TW, Prioleau JE, Stillman IE, Schnitt SJ. Loss of tumor marker immunostaining intensity on stored paraffin slides of breast cancer. J. Natl Cancer Inst. 1996;88:1054–1059
  21. Beck A, Etienne MC, Cheradame S, et al.  A role for dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase and thymidylate synthase in tumor sensitivity to fluorouracil. Eur. J. Cancer. 1994;30A:1517–1522
  22. Etienne MC, Cheradame S, Fischel JL, et al.  Response to fluorouracil therapy in cancer patients (the role of tumoral dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase activity). J. Clin. Oncol. 1995;13:1663–1670
  23. Danenberg K, Salonga J, Park J, et al. Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase and thymidylate synthase gene expression identify a high percentage of colorectal tumors responding to FU. Proc Am Soc Clin Oncol 1998, 17, abstr 992.
  24. Diasio RB, Harris BE. Clinical pharmacology of 5-fluorouracil. Clin. Pharmacokinetic. 1989;16:215–237
  25. Etienne MC, Lagrange JL, Dassonville O, et al.  A population study of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase in cancer patients. J. Clin. Oncol. 1994;12:2248–2253
  26. Cao S, Rustum YM, Spector T. 5-Ethynyluracil (776C85) (modulation of 5-fluorouracil efficacy and therapeutic index in rats bearing advanced colorectal carcinoma). Cancer Res. 1994;54:1507–1510
  27. Baker SD, Khor SP, Adjei AA, et al.  Pharmacokinetic, oral bioavailability and safety study of 5-fluorouracil in patients treated with 776C85, an inactivator of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase. J. Clin. Oncol. 1996;14:3085–3096
  28. Rustum YM, Harstrick A, Cao S, et al.  Thymidylate synthase inhibitors in cancer therapy (direct and indirect inhibitors). J. Clin. Oncol. 1997;15:389–400
  29. Findlay M, Van Cutsem E, Kocha W, et al.  A randomized phase II of Xeloda (capecitabine) in patients with advanced colorectal cancer. Proc. Am. Soc. Clin. Oncol. 1997;16:227a
  30. Cox JV, Pazdur R, Thibault A, et al.  A phase III trial of Xeloda in previously untreated advanced metastatic colorectal cancer. Proc. Am. Soc. Clin. Oncol. 1999;18:1016
  31. Carmichael J, Popiela T, Radstone D, et al.  Randomized comparative study of orzel (oral uracil/tegafur) plus LV versus parenteral FU in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Proc. Am. Soc. Clin. Oncol. 1999;18:1015
  32. Pritchard DM, Watson AJM, Potten CS, Jackman AL, Hickman JA. Inhibition by uridine but not thymidine of p53-dependent intestinal apoptosis initiated by 5-fluorouracil (evidence for the involvment of RNA perturbation). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 1997;94:1795–1799
  33. Pritchard DM, Potten CS, Hickman JA. The relationship between p53-dependent apoptosis, inhibition of proliferation and 5-fluorouracil-induced histopathology in murine intestinal epithelia. Cancer Res, 1998, 58, 5453–5465.
  34. Sobrero A, Aschele C, Bertino J. Fluorouracil in colorectal cancer. A tale of two drugs (implications for biochemical modulation). J. Clin. Oncol. 1997;15:368–381
  35. Aschele C, Sobrero A, Faderan MA, et al.  Novel mechanism(s) of resistance to 5-fluorouracil in human colon cancer (HCT-8) sublines following exposure to two different clinically relevant dose schedules. Cancer Res. 1992;52:1855–1864
  36. Sobrero A, Aschele C, Guglielmi A, et al.  Synergism and lack of cross-resistance between short-term and continuous exposure to fluorouracil in human colon adenocarcinoma cells. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 1993;85:1937–1944
  37. Louvet C, De Gramont A, Bennamoun M. High dose folinic acid, 5-fluorouracil bolus and continuous infusion in metastatic colorectal cancer (a 3-day/3-week schedule). Eur. J. Cancer. 1992;28:611–612
  38. Sobrero A, Aschele C, Guglielmi A, et al.  Schedule-selective biochemical modulation of 5-fluorouracil (a phase II study in advanced colorectal cancer). Clin. Cancer Res. 1995;1:955–960
  39. Sobrero A, Frassineti GL, Giulani R, et al.. Randomized comparison between sequential MTX→FU and schedule specific biochemical modulation in advanced colorectal cancer (ACRC). 23rd Congress Eur Soc Med Oncol 1998, 33 abstract 157.O.
  40. Lévi FA, Zidani R, Vannetzel J-M, et al.  Chronomodulated versus fixed-infusion-rate delivery of ambulatory chemotherapy with oxaliplatin, fluorouracil, and folinic acid (leucovorin) in patients with colorectal cancer metastases (a randomized multi-institutional trial). J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 1994;86:1608–1617
  41. Lévi F, Zidani R, Misset JL. Randomised multicentre trial of chronotherapy with oxaliplatin, fluorouracil, and folinic acid in metastatic colorectal cancer. Lancet. 1997;350:681–686
  42. Bertheault-Cvitkovic F, Jami A, Ithzaki M, et al.  Biweekly intensified ambulatory chronomodulated chemotherapy with oxaliplatin, fluorouracil, and leucovorin in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. J. Clin. Oncol. 1996;14:2950–2958
  43. Kemeny MM, Adak S, Lipsitz S, et al.  Prospective randomized study of surgery alone versus continuous hepatic artery infusion of FUDR and continuous systemic infusion of FU after resection for colorectal liver metastases. Proc. Am. Soc. Clin. Oncol. 1999;18:1012
  44. Kemeny N, Cohen A, Huang Y, et al.  Randomized study of hepatic artery infusion and systemic chemotherapy versus systemic chemotherapy alone as adjuvant therapy after resection of hepatic metastases from colorectal carcinoma. Proc. Am. Soc. Clin. Oncol. 1999;18:1011
  45. Cunningham D, Pyrhönen S, James D, et al.  The value of second line chemotherapy after Fluorouracil failure for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (a randomized phase III trial of irinotecan versus supportive care). Proc. Am. Soc. Clin. Oncol. 1998;17:1a
  46. Van Cutsem E, Bajetta E, Niederle N, et al.  A phase III multicenter randomized trial comparing CPT-11 to infusional 5-FU regimen in patients with advanced colorectal cancer after 5-FU failure. Proc. Am. Soc. Clin. Oncol. 1998;17:256a
  47. Cunningham D, Pyrhonen S, James RD, et al.  Randomised trial of irinotecan plus supportive care versus supportive care alone after fluorouracil failure for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Lancet. 1998;352:1413–1418
  48. Rougier P, Vancustem E, Bajetta E, et al.  Randomised trial of irinotecan versus fluorouracil by continuous infusion after fluorouracil failure in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Lancet. 1998;352:1407–1412
  49. Saltz LB, Locker PK, Pirotta N, et al.  Weekly irinotecan, leucovorin and FU is superior to daily X 5 LVFU in patients with previously untreated metastatic colorectal cancer. Proc. Am. Soc. Clin. Oncol. 1999;18:898
  50. Douillard JY, Cunningham D, Roth AD, et al.  A randomized phase III trial comparing irinotecan+FU folinic acid to the same schedule of FUFA in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer as front line chemotherapy. Proc. Am. Soc. Clin. Oncol. 1999;18:899
  51. De Gramont A, Vignoud J, Tournigand C, et al.  Oxaliplatin with high-dose leucovorin and 5-fluorouracil 48 h continuous infusion in pretreated metastatic colorectal cancer. Eur. J. Cancer. 1997;33:214–219
  52. De Gramont A, Figer A, Seymour M, et al.  A randomized trial of leucovorin (LV) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) with or without oxaliplatin in advanced colorectal cancer. Proc. Am. Soc. Clin. Oncol. 1998;17:257a
  53. Price T, Cunningham D, Hickish T, et al.  Phase III study of chronomodulated vs protracted venous infusional FU both combined with mitomycin in first line therapy for advanced colorectal carcinoma. Proc. Am. Soc. Clin. Oncol. 1999;18:1008
  54. Van Cutsem E. Future developments with ‘Tomudex’ (raltitrexed). Anti-Cancer Drugs. 1997;8:S33–S38
  55. Van Cutsem E. A glimpse of the future. New directions in the treatment of colorectal cancer. Eur. J. Cancer. 1996;32A:S23–S27
  56. Nemunaitis J, Poole C, Primrose J, et al.  Combined Analysis of studies of the effects of the matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor marimastat on serum tumor markers in advanced cancer (selection of a biologically active and tolerable dose for longer-term studies). Clin. Cancer Res. 1998;4:1101–1109
  57. Cole DJ, Baron PL, O'Brien P, Reed C, Tsang KY, Schlom J. Phase 1 study of recombinant CEA vaccinia virus vaccine with post vaccination CEA peptide challenge. Human Gene Ther. 1996;7:1381–1394
  58. Green NK, Searle PF, Young LS, Kerr DJ, Neoptolemos JP. Gene therapy for gastrointestinal cancer. GI Cancer. 1996;2:43–53
  59. Huber BE, Austin EA, Good SS, et al.  In vivo antitumor activity of 5-fluorocytosine on human colorectal carcinoma cells genetically modified to express cytosine deaminase. Cancer Res. 1993;53:4619–4626

PII: S0959-8049(99)00314-7

European Journal of Cancer
Volume 36, Issue 5 , Pages 559-566 , March 2000

Article Tools

* Image Usage & Resolution