Preventive effect of traditional Japanese medicine on neurotoxicity of FOLFOX for metastatic colorectal cancer: a multicenter retrospective study.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

A combination of 5-fluorouracil/folinic acid plus oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) is a standard regimen for the chemotherapy of metastatic colorectal cancer. The major dose-limiting toxic effect of oxaliplatin is neurotoxicity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the preventive effects of traditional Japanese medicines, goshajinkigan and shakuyakukanzoto on oxaliplatin-induced neurotoxicity with FOLFOX.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

Between July 2006 and November 2008, a total of 44 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer received modified FOLFOX6 or FOLFOX4, as first-line chemotherapy at three institutions. They concurrently received either goshajinkigan (group A, n=20) or shakuyakukanzoto (group B, n=24) for neurotoxicity reduction.

RESULTS:

The median number of treatment cycles and the median cumulative dose of oxaliplatin were 12 cycles (range, 4-19) and 898 mg/m(2) (range, 340-1255) in group A and 10.5 cycles (range, 6-20) and 845 mg/m(2) (range, 510-1480) in group B. Eighteen patients in group A and 24 in group B received oxaliplatin in a cumulative dose exceeding 500 mg/m(2). At a dose of 500 mg/m(2) oxaliplatin, grade 1-2 toxicity occurred in 10 patients of group A and in 7 of group B, but there was no grade 3 or higher toxicity in either group. The response rate of the 38 patients with measurable lesions was 50.0% (9/18) in group A and 65% (13/20) in group B.

CONCLUSION:

The administration of traditional Japanese medicine may reduce oxalipatin-induced neurotoxicity without negatively affecting tumor response in patients with colorectal cancer who undergo FOLFOX therapy.

• Authors: Ayumu Hosokawa, Kohei Ogawa, Takayuki Ando, Nobuhiro Suzuki, Akira Ueda, Shinya Kajiura, Yuka Kobayashi, Yuji Tsukioka, Naoki Horikawa, Kazuhisa Yabushita, Junya Fukuoka, Toshiro Sugiyama
• Journal: Anticancer research (Anticancer Res) Vol. 32 Issue 7 Pg. 2545-50 (Jul 2012) ISSN: 1791-7530 [Electronic] Greece
• PMID: 22753712 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Multicenter Study)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
• Drug Combinations
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal
• Organoplatinum Compounds
• gosha-jinki-gan
• shakuyaku-kanzoh-toh
• Oxaliplatin
• Bevacizumab
• Leucovorin
• Fluorouracil

Topics

• Aged
• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols (administration & dosage, adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Bevacizumab
• Colorectal Neoplasms (drug therapy, pathology)
• Drug Combinations
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal (therapeutic use)
• Female
• Fluorouracil (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Glycyrrhiza
• Humans
• Leucovorin (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasm Metastasis
• Neurotoxicity Syndromes (etiology, prevention & control)
• Organoplatinum Compounds (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Oxaliplatin
• Paeonia
• Retrospective Studies