[Cooperative Study of Surgical Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Colorectal Cancer (third report): five-year results after surgery]

Abstract

Beginning in January 1984, in collaboration with 357 institutions nationwide, comparative studies on curative resection cases of colorectal cancer and a control group were conducted for 2 years. The following method of administration was employed; Group A received 12 mg/m2 of MMC on the day of operation, followed by 6 mg/m2 every 2 months 6 times. From the 2nd week after the operation, 800 mg/body/day of Futraful was administered for one year. Group B received no treatment. Altogether 2786 cases were collected and, excluding ineligible cases, 2477 evaluable cases were analyzed. There was no difference in either survival rate or disease free rate, but after the bias of background factors was corrected by the hazard model, the disease free rate was better with Group A, and there was a significant difference with the rectum. According to the Dukes classification, in the Dukes C cases with the rectum Group A had higher rate of survival, disease free rate and lower rate of metastasis to the liver and local recurrence of cancer.