Irinotecan, a key chemotherapeutic drug for metastatic colorectal cancer.

ABSTRACT: Irinotecan hydrochloride is a camptothecin derivative that exerts antitumor activity against a variety of tumors. SN-38 produced in the body by carboxylesterase is the active metabolite of irinotecan. After irinotecan was introduced for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) at the end of the last century, survival has improved dramatically. Irinotecan is now combined with 5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin and several molecularly-targeted anticancer drugs, resulting in the extension of overall survival to longer than 30 mo. Severe, occasionally life-threatening toxicity occurs sporadically, even in patients in relatively good condition who have a low risk of chemotherapy-induced toxicity, often causing the failure of irinotecan-based chemotherapy. Clinical pharmacological studies ha

SUBMITTER: Fujita K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4649109 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature