FOLFIRI
Encyclopedia
FOLFIRI is a chemotherapy regimen for treatment of colorectal cancer
. It is made up of the following drugs:
Cetuximab
, a monoclonal antibody to epidermal growth factor receptor
, is sometimes added to FOLFIRI.
The regimen consists of:
This cycle is typically repeated every two weeks. The dosages shown above may vary from cycle to cycle.
Colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer, commonly known as bowel cancer, is a cancer caused by uncontrolled cell growth , in the colon, rectum, or vermiform appendix. Colorectal cancer is clinically distinct from anal cancer, which affects the anus....
. It is made up of the following drugs:
- FOL – folinic acidFolinic acidFolinic acid or leucovorin , generally administered as calcium or sodium folinate , is an adjuvant used in cancer chemotherapy involving the drug methotrexate. It is also used in synergistic combination with the chemotherapy agent 5-fluorouracil.Levofolinic acid and its salts are the enantiopure...
(leucovorin), a vitamin B derivative used as a "rescue" drug for high doses of the drug methotrexate and that modulates/potentiates/reduces the side effects of fluorouracil; - F – fluorouracilFluorouracilFluorouracil is a drug that is a pyrimidine analog which is used in the treatment of cancer. It is a suicide inhibitor and works through irreversible inhibition of thymidylate synthase. It belongs to the family of drugs called antimetabolites...
(5-FU), a pyrimidine analog and antimetabolite which incorporates into the DNA molecule and stops synthesis; and - IRI – irinotecanIrinotecanIrinotecan is a drug used for the treatment of cancer.Irinotecan prevents DNA from unwinding by inhibition of topoisomerase 1. In chemical terms, it is a semisynthetic analogue of the natural alkaloid camptothecin....
(Camptosar), a topoisomeraseTopoisomeraseTopoisomerases are enzymes that regulate the overwinding or underwinding of DNA. The winding problem of DNA arises due to the intertwined nature of its double helical structure. For example, during DNA replication, DNA becomes overwound ahead of a replication fork...
inhibitor, which prevents DNA from uncoiling and duplicating.
Cetuximab
Cetuximab
Cetuximab is a chimeric monoclonal antibody, an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor, given by intravenous infusion for treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer and head and neck cancer.- Distribution :Cetuximab is manufactured and distributed in North America by ImClone and Bristol-Myers...
, a monoclonal antibody to epidermal growth factor receptor
Epidermal growth factor receptor
The epidermal growth factor receptor is the cell-surface receptor for members of the epidermal growth factor family of extracellular protein ligands...
, is sometimes added to FOLFIRI.
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.