Complete Response after Treatment with UFT/LV Regimen for Liver andLung Metastases of Rectal Cancer: A Case Report

A 72-year-old woman was diagnosed with Borrmann type I and II tumors in the rectosigmoid colon by colonoscopy. Whole-body Computed Tomography (CT) revealed two 1-cm masses on both lungs; however, no mass was observed in the liver. The patient underwent low anterior resection for the treatment of colorectal cancer. One month after surgery, her serum Carcinogenic Embryonic Antigen levels had doubled (283 ng/mL) compared with that at surgery; therefore, contrast-enhanced CT revealed liver metastatic lesions at segments 2 and 5. For her advanced colorectal cancer with lung and liver metastases, five cycles of chemotherapy consisting of infusional irinotecan, l-LV, and a bolus injection of 5-FU on day 1 followed by oral UFT and LV on days 1-7 were continued until the patient could not endure the adverse effects in the gastrointestinal tract. This regimen was chosen with the intention of reducing the infusional administration of drugs. Subsequently, an oral regimen of UFT/LV was initiated at the outpatient clinic. Twelve months later, CT revealed the disappearance of lung and liver lesions, and her serum CEA levels had returned to normal; therefore, the patient was considered to exhibit a Complete Response (CR). The chemotherapy was subsequently discontinued at the patient’s request and she has maintained CR for over a year.