[Chemotherapy of gastrointestinal tumors (review of the literature)].

There exist no common recommendations for palliative therapy of gastrointestinal cancer. Fluorouracil has been used for a long time, remission rates reported range from 0% to 80%. In larger series they figure about 20% but without prolongation of survival in responders. Although this drug is used for 20 years optimal dose and timing is still unknown. By combination of fluorouracil with other drugs remission rates were improved and in responders survival was prolonged (mitomycin C and/or adriamycin in gastric cancer, methyl-CCNU in colorectal cancer). The results of adjuvant chemotherapy of gastrointestinal cancer are contradictory, the routine usage is not recommendable. Adjuvant as well as palliative chemotherapy must be improved by controlled clinical trials.