A phase II trial of carboplatin, methotrexate and fluorouracil in fluorouracil-pretreated colorectal cancer

Abstract5-Fluorouracil and leucovorin combination is the most commonly applied chemotherapy treatment for colorectal cancer patients, both in the adjuvant setting and for advanced disease. Patients resistant or refractory to the 5-fluorouracil- leucovorin combination have been treated in this phase II trial with carboplatin plus methotrexate and fluorouracil in sequence. Twenty patients with measurable lesions from advanced colorectal cancer were entered in the trial. The treatment plan was carboplatin 300 mg/m2 day 1, methotrexate 40 mg/m2 day 1, fluorouracil 600 mg/m2 day 2, every 21 days. Two patients with liver metastasis had a partial response. Median survival was 12 months (range 4-24). Toxicity was acceptable and no patient had to be hospitalized because of the treatment. In this set of patients activity of the new combination is marginal.