Table 3 Toxicities WHO III+IV

From: Adjuvant chemoradiotherapy of advanced resectable rectal cancer: results of a randomised trial comparing modulation of 5-fluorouracil with folinic acid or with interferon-α

 

Treatment

 
 

5-FU ( N =282)

5-FU+FA ( N =291)

5-FU+INF α (N =223)

Total ( N =796)

Toxicity data available a

N=241

N=253

N=191

N=685

 Haematologicalb

13

6

48

67

 Nausea/vomiting

7

12

20

39

 Diarrhoea

38

41

53

132

 Fever

1

3

13

17

 Skin

18

16

23

57

 Neurological

4

6

13

23

 Othersc

12

19

20

51

 No cause stated

73

67

107

247

Caused by

 Chemotherapy

35

31

56

122

 Radiotherapy

19

22

7

48

 Both

22

17

48

87

Number of patientsd (in %)

76 (32)

70 (28)

111 (58)

257 (38)

  1. Abbreviations: FA=folinic acid; 5-FU=5-fluorouracil; IFNα=interferon-α; WHO=World Health Organisation.
  2. aThe results of toxicity were based on the analysis of 685 patients for whom toxicity data were available.
  3. bNumber of documented toxicities >WHO II.
  4. cIncluding obstipation and infections, as well as renal, pulmonal, and cardiac toxicity.
  5. dTotal number of patients affected by any toxicity >WHO II.
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