Nordic 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin bolus schedule combined with oxaliplatin (Nordic FLOX) as first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer

This study combined oxaliplatin with the Nordic bolus schedule of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and folinic acid (FA) as first-line treatment in metastatic colorectal cancer. Twenty-seven patients were treated every second week with oxaliplatin 85 mg/m(2) as a 2-h infusion on day 1, followed by a 3-min bolus injection with 5-FU 500 mg/m(2) and 30 min later a bolus injection with FA 60 mg/m(2) given on days 1 and 2. Seventeen patients achieved a complete (n = 2) or partial (n = 15) response, leading to a confirmed response rate of 63% (95% CI 45-81%). The estimated median times to progression and survival were 8.9 and 18.7 months, respectively. Neutropenia grade 3-4 toxicity was seen in 63% of patients, neuropathy grade 3 in one patient and grade 2 in 12 patients. Oxaliplatin combined with the bolus Nordic schedule of 5-FU/FA (Nordic FLOX) appears to be well tolerated, effective and feasible as first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer yielding results comparable with those obtained by more complex schedules.