Efficacy of tegafur-uracil in advanced urothelial cancer patients after the treatment failure of platinum-based chemotherapy.

Background: Platinum-based chemotherapy is the first-line treatment for advanced urinary tract urothelial cancers. However, the optimal second-line treatment is unclear. Although tegafur-uracil is sometimes used for advanced urothelial cancer patients after the treatment failure of platinum-based chemotherapy, there is little evidence regarding its use as a second-line treatment.

Patients And Methods: Advanced urothelial cancer patients previously treated with platinum-based chemotherapy were retrospectively analyzed. Overall survival (OS) was compared between patients with and without tegafur-uracil treatment.

Results: Thirty-one patients (27 and 4 patients with and without tegafur-uracil treatment, respectively) were analyzed. OS from the last day of the final chemotherapy course was better in patients with tegafur-uracil treatment than in those without (p<0.001, 358 and 66.5 days of the median survival time, respectively).

Conclusion: Tegafur-uracil may be a candidate for the secondary treatment of advanced urothelial cancer patients after the treatment failure of platinum-based chemotherapy.