Efficacy of prophylactic anti-diarrhoeal treatment in patients receiving Campto for advanced colorectal cancer

Anticancer Res. 2002 Nov-Dec;22(6B):3727-31.

Abstract

This study assessed the efficacy of combined prophylactic and curative anti-diarrhoeal medication in advanced colorectal patients treated by irinotecan. Thirty-four pre-treated eligible patients were evaluated. There were 44% women, the median age was 65 and 38% of the patients had a 0 performance status. The patients received sucralfate(4g/d) and nifuroxazide(600 mg/d) prophylactic treatment on days 0-7. In the case of severe diarrhoea, preventive treatment was replaced by loperamide(12 mg/d) and diosmectite (9 g/d). Grade 3 delayed diarrhoea occurred in 18% of patients (90% CI: [9.5-28.9]) and 4.6% of cycles. No grade 4 delayed diarrhoea was observed. Twenty-nine patients (85%) received the preventive treatment at cycle 1, while 14% (90% CI: [6.2-25.7]) experienced grade 3 delayed diarrhoea in 3.7% of cycles for a median 4.5 days. The objective response rate was 8% (90% CI [1.4-23.1]) among the 25 assessable patients. Preventive combined treatment is effective in reducing the incidence of severe delayed diarrhoea, and it should be proposed to patients treated with mono-therapy Campto(r) and evaluated in poly-chemotherapy protocols.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / complications
  • Adenocarcinoma / drug therapy*
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Anti-Infective Agents / therapeutic use
  • Anti-Ulcer Agents / therapeutic use
  • Antidiarrheals / therapeutic use*
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / adverse effects*
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / therapeutic use
  • Camptothecin / adverse effects*
  • Camptothecin / analogs & derivatives*
  • Camptothecin / therapeutic use
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / complications
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Diarrhea / chemically induced
  • Diarrhea / drug therapy
  • Diarrhea / prevention & control*
  • Gastrointestinal Agents / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Hydroxybenzoates / therapeutic use*
  • Irinotecan
  • Loperamide / therapeutic use
  • Middle Aged
  • Nitrofurans / therapeutic use*
  • Silicates*
  • Sucralfate / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Anti-Ulcer Agents
  • Antidiarrheals
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • Gastrointestinal Agents
  • Hydroxybenzoates
  • Nitrofurans
  • Silicates
  • Sucralfate
  • Loperamide
  • Irinotecan
  • Smectite
  • nifuroxazide
  • Camptothecin