{"id":3080,"date":"2022-03-30T09:04:16","date_gmt":"2022-03-30T09:04:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linksus.net\/folfox-chemotherapy-side-effects-regimen-and-success-rate-medical-news-today\/"},"modified":"2022-03-30T09:04:16","modified_gmt":"2022-03-30T09:04:16","slug":"folfox-chemotherapy-side-effects-regimen-and-success-rate-medical-news-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linksus2.linksus.net\/index.php\/2022\/03\/30\/folfox-chemotherapy-side-effects-regimen-and-success-rate-medical-news-today\/","title":{"rendered":"FOLFOX chemotherapy: Side effects, regimen, and success rate &#8211; Medical News Today"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Doctors often use chemotherapy as the first line of defense against cancer. FOLFOX, a combination of chemotherapy drugs, can treat colorectal cancer.<br \/>There are various types and combinations of chemotherapy drugs, and each has its own set of benefits and drawbacks. One example is <hl-trusted-source source=\"National Cancer Institute \" rationale=\"Governmental authority\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cancer.gov\/publications\/dictionaries\/cancer-terms\/def\/folfox-regimen\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">FOLFOX<\/a><\/hl-trusted-source>, a combination of folinic acid, fluorouracil, and oxaliplatin. <br \/>While doctors commonly use it for people with colorectal cancer, FOLFOX <hl-trusted-source source=\"National Cancer Institute \" rationale=\"Governmental authority\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cancer.gov\/about-cancer\/treatment\/drugs\/folfox\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">can also<\/a><\/hl-trusted-source> treat other types of cancer. A person can use it alone or in combination with other drugs.<br \/>Read more to learn about the FOLFOX regimen, its side effects, success rates, and more.<br \/>FOLFOX is a combination of chemotherapy drugs. Doctors <hl-trusted-source source=\"National Cancer Institute \" rationale=\"Governmental authority\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cancer.gov\/publications\/dictionaries\/cancer-terms\/def\/folfox-regimen\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">commonly use<\/a><\/hl-trusted-source> it to treat colorectal cancer, particularly if it has spread beyond the colon. They may also use it to treat <hl-trusted-source source=\"Wiley\" rationale=\"Peer reviewed journal\"><a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/theoncologist.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full\/10.1002\/onco.13611\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">pancreatic cancer<\/a><\/hl-trusted-source> and some other cancers.<br \/>Doctors often use FOLFOX as an <hl-trusted-source source=\"PubMed Central\" rationale=\"Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4980863\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">adjuvant treatment<\/a><\/hl-trusted-source>. This means they administer the medication after the primary cancer treatment, such as surgery to remove a tumor. Using FOLFOX chemotherapy after the primary treatment can prevent the cancer from returning.<br \/>Usually, in people with stage 3 colon cancer, a doctor or oncologist will prescribe FOLFOX for 6 months. Alternatively, a person may receive XELOX (also called CAPOX), which is oxaliplatin combined with capecitabine. <br \/>According to a 2016 study in <em><hl-trusted-source source=\"PubMed Central\" rationale=\"Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health\"><a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/labs\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4980863\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">Springerplus<\/a><\/hl-trusted-source><\/em>, there are significant benefits for people with stage 3 colon cancer who receive at least eight cycles of FOLFOX.<br \/>In some cases, doctors may use FOLFOX and cetuximab as <hl-trusted-source source=\"PubMed Central\" rationale=\"Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health\"><a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6330626\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">first-line therapy<\/a><\/hl-trusted-source> for colorectal cancer that has spread. They can also use FOLFOX for <hl-trusted-source source=\"BMC\/BioMed Central\" rationale=\"Peer reviewed journal\"><a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/bmccancer.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s12885-018-4380-z\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">palliative treatment<\/a><\/hl-trusted-source>. It may ease symptoms and improve the quality of life in individuals with advanced colon cancer.<br \/>Chemotherapy medications such as FOLFOX are potent drugs. Although they kill harmful cancer cells, they can also damage healthy tissue and cause a range of side effects.<br \/>At least <hl-trusted-source source=\"National Cancer Institute \" rationale=\"Governmental authority\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ctep.cancer.gov\/protocolDevelopment\/sideeffects\/regimes\/regimes.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">1 in 5 individuals<\/a><\/hl-trusted-source> receiving FOLFOX treatment develop some or all of the following <a href=\"\/articles\/323485\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">side effects<\/a>:<br \/>People who develop side effects should discuss their treatment regimen with a doctor. They can reduce their dosage or change their medication.<br \/>According to a <hl-trusted-source source=\"PubMed Central\" rationale=\"Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health\"><a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5913883\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">2018 study<\/a><\/hl-trusted-source> of 109 individuals with stage 4 colon cancer, side effects meant doctors had to reduce the dose for almost half of the participants. Despite this, the researchers found no significant difference in overall survival between the individuals receiving an adjusted lower dose and those on the higher initial dose. <br \/>This means if side effects are causing harm to an individual, a lower dose of the medication may still be effective.<br \/>Individuals <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cancerresearchuk.org\/about-cancer\/cancer-in-general\/treatment\/cancer-drugs\/drugs\/folfox\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">typically<\/a> receive FOLFOX through intravenous (IV) infusions at a chemotherapy clinic. <br \/>Alternatively, if a person has a central line, they may receive their infusions at home. A central line is a small, flexible tube placed in a large vein. It stays in for an extended period of time and allows a person to easily receive IV medication.<br \/>Each cycle of FOLFOX is 2 weeks long, and an individual may receive up to 12 cycles.<br \/>Although everyone\u2019s treatment is different, a sample FOLFOX regimen may look like this:<br \/>An individual receives:<br \/>An individual receives:<br \/>An individual will have no treatment until the start of the next cycle.<br \/>Treatment for colon cancer <hl-trusted-source source=\"American Cancer Society\" rationale=\"Highly respected international organization\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fightcolorectalcancer.org\/surgery\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">often involves<\/a><\/hl-trusted-source> surgery to remove the primary tumor. Doctors may then recommend <a href=\"\/articles\/chemotherapy\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">chemotherapy<\/a> to attack any remaining cancerous cells. <br \/>Depending on their cancer stage and grade, FOLFOX may be a good option for some people with colon cancer. Several studies have evaluated the success rates of FOLFOX chemotherapy:<br \/>FOLFOX is a chemotherapy regimen that doctors commonly use to treat colorectal cancer. It contains the chemotherapy drugs folinic acid, fluorouracil, and oxaliplatin. <br \/>Although FOLFOX can improve an individual\u2019s outlook, it may cause unpleasant side effects. If an individual experiences side effects, they can discuss adjusting the dosage with a doctor.<br \/><span> Last medically reviewed on  March 29, 2022<\/span><br \/><span class=\"css-fjmckk icon-hlvideo-minus\"><\/span><span class=\"css-fjmckk icon-hlvideo-plus\"><\/span> <span class=\"css-11nuv7j\">11 sources<\/span><span class=\"sro\">collapsed<\/span><br \/><a class=\"css-onvglr\" data-event=\"engagement|bottom page content promo click|\/articles\/does-medicare-cover-chemotherapy;engagement|bottom page content promo click index|1\" data-element-event=\"INTERNAL LINK|FOOTER|Any Page|Read This Next|LINK|Does Medicare cover chemotherapy?|rn0\" href=\"\/articles\/does-medicare-cover-chemotherapy\" data-testid=\"text-link\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">Medicare provides coverage for costs of chemotherapy. How a person receives the treatment and in what setting affects how the coverage works.<\/a><br \/><a class=\"css-onvglr\" data-event=\"engagement|bottom page content promo click|\/articles\/how-to-sleep-with-a-chemo-port;engagement|bottom page content promo click index|2\" data-element-event=\"INTERNAL LINK|FOOTER|Any Page|Read This Next|LINK|How to sleep comfortably with a chemo port|rn1\" href=\"\/articles\/how-to-sleep-with-a-chemo-port\" data-testid=\"text-link\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">People with a chemo port can make sleeping more comfortable by adopting certain sleep positions and using body pillows. Learn more about how to sleep\u2026<\/a><br \/><a class=\"css-onvglr\" data-event=\"engagement|bottom page content promo click|\/articles\/323932;engagement|bottom page content promo click index|3\" data-element-event=\"INTERNAL LINK|FOOTER|Any Page|Read This Next|LINK|Is it possible to reverse &#x27;chemo brain?&#x27;|rn2\" href=\"\/articles\/323932\" data-testid=\"text-link\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">&#x27;Chemo brain&#x27; affects many people who have undergone cancer treatment. What happens in the brain, and how can we reverse this effect?<\/a><br \/><a class=\"css-onvglr\" data-event=\"engagement|bottom page content promo click|\/articles\/273526;engagement|bottom page content promo click index|4\" data-element-event=\"INTERNAL LINK|FOOTER|Any Page|Read This Next|LINK|Palliative chemotherapy: harms and benefits weighed in new study|rn3\" href=\"\/articles\/273526\" data-testid=\"text-link\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">Palliative chemotherapy &#8211; drugs designed to prolong survival and ease symptoms in terminal cancer patients &#8211; results in patients less likely to die\u2026<\/a><br \/>OUR BRANDS<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/folfox\">source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Doctors often use chemotherapy as the first line of defense against cancer. FOLFOX, a combination of chemotherapy drugs, can treat colorectal cancer.There are various types and combinations of chemotherapy drugs, and each has its own set of benefits and drawbacks. One example is FOLFOX, a combination of folinic acid, fluorouracil, and oxaliplatin. While doctors commonly [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":869,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/linksus2.linksus.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3080"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/linksus2.linksus.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/linksus2.linksus.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linksus2.linksus.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/869"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linksus2.linksus.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3080"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/linksus2.linksus.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3080\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/linksus2.linksus.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3080"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linksus2.linksus.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3080"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linksus2.linksus.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3080"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}