Clinical trials with 5-fluorouracil, folinic acid and cisplatin in patients with gastrointestinal malignancies.

Combination chemotherapy for advanced gastrointestinal malignancies remains unsatisfactory. Studies show a definite therapeutic advantage for folinic acid/5-fluorouracil (5-FU) regimen compared with single agent 5-FU given intravenously in the management of advanced colorectal cancer. Data on survival benefits vary. A definitive conclusion regarding this question must outweigh the maturation of the present studies and possibly generate further extensive investigations. The currently available data are insufficient from which to draw any conclusion on the effect of the attempt to modulate 5-FU activity further by the addition of cisplatin to the combination. Nevertheless, the combination appears to elicit some therapeutic advantage in patients with pancreatic carcinoma and rectal carcinoma. The paucity of data in gastric carcinoma is disappointing in light of sensitivity to both cisplatin and 5-FU.