Treatment of advanced or recurrent colorectal cancer with irinotecan in Japan and elsewhere.

Background: Dramatic prolongation of the survival of patients with advanced or recurrent colorectal cancer has been achieved by multi-drug chemotherapy using agents such as continuous 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin, irinotecan (CPT-11), L-OHP, bevacizumab and cetuximab.
Objective: To explain the background of CPT-11 and to discuss its role in the treatment of advanced or recurrent colorectal cancer in Japan and elsewhere together with the authors' own experience.