Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Diagnosis of metastatic colorectal carcinoma
• •Bidimensionally measurable disease
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Age:
• •18 and over
• •Performance status:
• •ECOG 0-2
• •Life expectancy:
• •At least 12 weeks
• •Hematopoietic:
• •WBC at least 4,000/mm\^3
• •Granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• •Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• •Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• •Hemoglobin greater than 8 g/dL
• •Hepatic:
• •Bilirubin no greater than 1.2 mg/dL
• •AST and ALT less than 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• •PT no greater than ULN (not on anticoagulation therapy)
• •Renal:
• •Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• •Creatine clearance greater than 60 mL/min
• •Pulmonary:
• •DLCO at least 60%
• •Other:
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 2 months after study
• •No other concurrent active malignancies
• •Prior malignancies presumed to be cured allowed
• •No other concurrent uncontrolled severe medical problem that would preclude study participation
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •Biologic therapy:
• •Not specified
• •Chemotherapy:
• •At least 6 months since prior adjuvant chemotherapy without disease recurrence
• •No more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen for metastatic disease
• •Endocrine therapy:
• •Not specified
• •Radiotherapy:
• •Prior adjuvant radiotherapy allowed
• •No prior radiotherapy to more than 25% of total bone marrow
• •Surgery:
• •Not specified
• •Other:
• •No other prior therapy for advanced disease