J Cancer 2016; 7(2):136-143. doi:10.7150/jca.13405 This issue Cite
Research Paper
1. Department of Internal Medicine, Kangnam Sacred-Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul 150-950, Korea
2. Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
3. Department of Surgery, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea
4. Department of Surgery, Daegu Catholic University Medical Center, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea
5. Department of Surgery, Wonju Severance Christian Hospital, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea
6. Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea
7. Department of Surgery, Sanggye Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
8. Department of Hemato-Oncology, Dongnam Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Busan, Korea
9. Department of Surgery, Yeungnam University College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea
10. Department of Surgery, Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital, Seoul, Korea
11. Department of Surgery, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
12. Department of Surgery, Dankook University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
13. Medical department of sanofi-aventis Korea, Seoul, Korea
* Jung Han Kim and Moo Jun Baek equally contributed to this work.
Background: Adjuvant chemotherapy is a crucial part of treatment for patients with locally advanced colon cancer. This study was conducted to investigate the actual practice in the use of adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with high-risk stage II or stage III colon cancer in South Korea.
Methods: This was a 24-month open-label, prospective, observational study conducted at 12 centers across South Korea. Patients with high-risk stage II and stage III colon cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy after curative surgery were included, and data were collected at baseline, third, and sixth month.
Results: A total of 246 patients were included in the analyses. Of five available regimens (FOLFOX, CAPOX, 5-FU/LV, capecitabine, and UFT/LV), FOLFOX was most commonly used (82.5%). Investigators indicated the “efficacy” as the major cause for selecting FOLFOX or CAPOX. For 5-FU/LV, capecitabine, or UFT/LV, the “safety” or “patient's characteristics (age, comorbidity, and stage)” was one of the most important selecting factors. Patients receiving 5-FU/LV, capecitabine, or UFT/LV had older age, worse PS and lower disease stage (stage II) than patients receiving FOLFOX or CAPOX. Hematologic toxicities were the most common cause of dose adjustment and treatment delay.
Conclusions: In South Korea, FOLFOX was the most commonly used regimen for adjuvant chemotherapy and its efficacy was the main cause for selecting this regimen. Patients receiving 5-FU/LV, capecitabine, or UFT/LV had older age, worse PS and lower disease stage (stage II) than patients receiving FOLFOX or CAPOX.
Keywords: Adjuvant chemotherapy, Colon cancer, Capecitabine, 5-fluorouracil, Oxaliplatin