How do you approach a patient with lower risk stage III colon cancer who is unable to tolerate the planned 3 months of oxaliplatin-based therapy due to neuropathy?

Topics: Gastrointestinal Cancers • Medical Oncology

Do you add on additional cycles of 5-FU/capecitabine to go beyond 3 months of treatment? Or would you stop at 3 months of therapy, dropping the oxaliplatin at the point of intolerance?

Answer from: Medical Oncologist at Academic Institution

For a stage III patient, I would favor dropping oxaliplatin and just continuing 5FU/leucovorin for the final 3 months (total of 6 mo of treatment). As this is early to see this degree of neuropathy, consider screening for other contributing causes, such as B12 deficiency or diabetes. If this patient...

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