@article{2989426,
    title = "Amifostine, in a reduced dose, protects against severe diarrhea associated with weekly fluorouracil and folinic acid chemotherapy in advanced colorectal cancer: A pilot study",
    author = "Tsavaris, N. and Kosmas, C. and Vadiaka, M. and Zonios, D. and Papalambros, E. and Papantoniou, N. and Margaris, H. and Zografos, G. and Rokana, S. and Retalis, G. and Koufos, C.",
    journal = "Journal of Pain and Symptom Management",
    year = "2003",
    volume = "26",
    number = "3",
    pages = "849-854",
    publisher = "ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC 360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-1710 USA",
    issn = "0885-3924",
    doi = "10.1016/S0885-3924(03)00283-5",
    keywords = "amifostine;  antidiarrheal agent;  diphenoxylate;  fluorouracil;  folinate calcium;  loperamide;  octreotide, adult;  advanced cancer;  aged;  anorexia;  article;  blood toxicity;  bone marrow toxicity;  cancer combination chemotherapy;  chemotherapy induced emesis;  clinical trial;  colorectal cancer;  controlled clinical trial;  controlled study;  diarrhea;  disease severity;  dose response;  drug effect;  drug efficacy;  drug safety;  drug tolerability;  female;  human;  hypotension;  incidence;  low drug dose;  major clinical study;  male;  mucosa inflammation;  nausea;  pilot study;  prophylaxis;  treatment outcome",
    abstract = "Fifty-two consecutive patients with advanced colorectal cancer who developed persistent diarrhea following chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil despite dose reduction were treated with amifostine 800, 500 or 150 mg/m 2. The administered dose of 5-fluorouracil was significantly greater during amifostine treatment. Amifostine 800 mg/m2 was associated with complete elimination of diarrhea, but 76.3% of patients developed infusion-related hypotension. At a dose of 500 mg/m2, diarrhea was significantly reduced and milder compared with baseline and the incidence of hypotension was 54.2%. At the lowest dose of amifostine, 17.1% of patients developed Grade 1 diarrhea, a significant reduction over baseline, and hypotension occurred in 25.2% of patients. Treatment with amifostine also improved mucositis but had no effect on the relatively mild nausea and vomiting due to 5-fluorouracil. In this study, amifostine reduced the incidence and severity of diarrhea associated with 5-fluorouracil in patients with advanced colorectal cancer, with acceptable efficacy at a reduced dose that offered better tolerability. © 2003 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved."
}