(irinotecan injection, Pharmacia)
A first-line chemotherapeutic agent for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, in combination with 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin (5-FU/LV). Previously approved as second-line therapy.
* Recommended Dosage: Administered intravenously.
* Special Considerations: Side effects include nausea, vomiting, neutropenia, and possibly life threatening diarrhea.
* Comment: Approval was based on two studies of more than 800 patients, which found that tumor progression and survival were significantly improved among those treated with Camptosar in combination with 5-FU/LV, compared with those treated with 5-FU/LV alone. Median survival in the studies were 17.4 months and 14.8 months among those treated with a regimen that included Camptosar, compared with 14.1 months and 12.6 months among those treated with 5-FU/LV, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
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COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group