Chemotherapy after palliative resection of colorectal cancer. Yorkshire Gastrointestinal Tumour Group

Abstract

Patients with residual disease after palliative resection of colorectal cancer were randomly allocated to receive methyl CCNU and 5-Fluorouracil or followed conventionally. There was a short term improvement in overall survival at 2 years significant at the 5 per cent level but ultimately all patients died. Chemotherapy did not significantly delay progression or prolong survival in patients with local residual disease. Although patients with more disseminated disease had a poorer prognosis than those with more limited disease, survival at 18 months was significantly prolonged (P less than 0.02 greater than 0.01) by chemotherapy.