Nordic 5-Fluorouracil/Leucovorin Bolus Schedule Combined with Oxaliplatin (Nordic FLOX) as First-line Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Abstract

This study combined oxaliplatin with the Nordic bolus schedule of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and folinic acid (FA) as first-line treatment in metastatic colorectal cancer. Twenty-seven patients were treated every second week with oxaliplatin 85 mg/m²as a 2-h infusion on day 1, followed by a 3-min bolus injection with 5-FU 500 mg/m²and 30 min later a bolus injection with FA 60 mg/m²given on days 1 and 2. Seventeen patients achieved a complete (n=2) or partial (n=15) response, leading to a confirmed response rate of 63% (95% CI 45–81%). The estimated median times to progression and survival were 8.9 and 18.7 months, respectively. Neutropenia grade 3–4 toxicity was seen in 63% of patients, neuropathy grade 3 in one patient and grade 2 in 12 patients. Oxaliplatin combined with the bolus Nordic schedule of 5-FU/FA (Nordic FLOX) appears to be well tolerated, effective and feasible as first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer yielding results comparable with those obtained by more complex schedules.