The current state of adjuvant treatment in carcinoma of the resected colon ( Review ) [Stato attuale del trattamento adiuvante del carcinoma del colon resecato.]

After radical surgery for colo-rectal cancer, the prevention of local recurrence and/or distant metastasis, represents the key factor of the active measures adopted by surgeons and oncologists. Recent trends of the research in this field, show that an effective chemotherapy is the goal to achieve. Our review of the literature on this subject, is aimed to make some remarks about the results of the main randomized protocols of adjuvant chemotherapy conducted in recent years, comparing the efficacy of different treatments. We should consider two ways of administering the chemotherapy: the systemic route, the classic one, and the portal route, especially designed to prevent liver metastasis. At the end of our review, we can conclude the following: poly-chemotherapy (MF or MOF) did not show real advantages compared to 5-FU alone the combination of 5-FU + Levamisole, showed an undoubtable efficacy in Dukes' C colorectal cancer the efficacy of intra-portal vein chemotherapy for Dukes' B colorectal cancer, has been proved in one report only, therefore we are waiting for a confirmative answer from the several similar investigations prompted recently. The analysis of such investigations may contribute, in future, to establish new protocols combining chemotherapy with immunotherapy and particularly, systemic chemotherapy with loco-regional one.