The prospects of the outpatient clinic or home anti-cancer chemotherapy for unresectable recurrence of colorectal cancer

In this study, we analyzed the effectiveness of anti-cancer chemotherapy at the outpatient clinic. We administered CDDP 5 mg/day every 5 days for a week with continuous systemic chemotherapy by 5-FU 500 mg/day for 3 weeks in the hospital, and in the outpatient clinic CDDP 5 mg/day every two days for a week with UFT 300 mg/day orally every day to 145 patients with unresectable recurrence of colorectal cancer. The 50% survival duration after beginning of this chemotherapy was 310.0 days. One-year and 2-year survival rates were 44.4% and 11.7%. One hundred and nine cases were evaluated. The total response rate was 19.3%, and the highest response rate was seen in metastatic lymph nodes (37.5%). The mean duration of continuation of this chemotherapy and the mean duration of staying at home was 188.2 days and 237.8 days. The mean rate of home stays was 68.6%. The group of performance status (PS) 0 or improving PS, accounted for 74.5% of all cases. The occurrence rate of adverse effects was as follows; stomatitis: 17.9%, diarrhea: 11.7% and bone marrow suppression: 13.1%. However, the occurrence rate for cases of grade 3 or 4 was only 1-4%. According to these results, this was an excellent chemotherapy to maintain the patient's QOL from the outpatient clinic.