FOLFIRI

FOLFIRI is a chemotherapy regimen for treatment of colorectal cancer. It is made up of the following drugs:^[1]

• FOL – folinic acid (leucovorin), a vitamin B derivative used as a "rescue" drug for high doses of the drug methotrexate, but increases the cytotoxicity of 5-fluorouracil;
• F – fluorouracil (5-FU), a pyrimidine analog and antimetabolite which incorporates into the DNA molecule and stops synthesis; and
• IRI – irinotecan (Camptosar), a topoisomerase inhibitor, which prevents DNA from uncoiling and duplicating.

Medical uses[]

FOLFIRI is used for colorectal cancer and gastric cancer.^[2] FOLFIRI is effective in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer, but it has not been shown to be effective in the adjuvant therapy of colon and rectal cancer.

Regimen[]

The regimen consists of:

• irinotecan (180 mg/m² IV over 90 minutes) concurrently with folinic acid (400 mg/m² [or 2 x 250 mg/m²] IV over 120 minutes)
• followed by fluorouracil (400–500 mg/m² IV bolus) then fluorouracil (2400–3000 mg/m² intravenous infusion over 46 hours).

This cycle is typically repeated every two weeks. The dosages shown above may vary from cycle to cycle.

Combinations[]

FOLFIRI is often^{[citation needed]} combined with bevacizumab, aflibercept, cetuximab or panitumumab to improve efficacy and response rate.^[3]

Adverse effects[]

In the short term, irinotecan causes diarrhea, which may be acute or delayed in onset. Long term use^{[citation needed]} of irinotecan may lead to neutropenia.^[4]

See also[]

• Dose-dense chemotherapy
• FOLFIRINOX
• FOLFOX
• FOLFOXIRI
• IFL

References[]