FRIDAY, Feb. 9 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with operable colon cancer, health-related quality-of-life scores are similar for those treated with either oral uracil/ftorafur plus leucovorin or standard intravenous fluorouracil plus leucovorin. Both treatments are well tolerated, but patients consider the oral regimen to be more convenient, according to a study published in the Feb. 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Jacek A. Kopec, M.D., of the Arthritis Research Centre of Canada in Vancouver, British Columbia, and colleagues studied 1,608 patients, 805 of whom were treated with the oral regimen and 803 of whom were treated with the intravenous regimen.
The researchers found no significant group differences in overall Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Colorectal (FACT-C) scores, FACT-C scores within the subscales of colon-specific, physical, emotional, social and functional health, and Quality-of-Life Rating Scale scores. However, the oral-regimen group was found to have significantly higher convenience-of-care scores than the intravenous group.
"We hope these results will help clinicians in preparing patients for chemotherapy after colon cancer surgery and in selecting the best therapy for each patient," the authors conclude.
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