BACKGROUND-Colon cancers with high-frequency microsatellite instability have clinical and pathological features that distinguish them from microsatellite-stable tumors. We investigated the usefulness of microsatellite-instability status as a predictor of the benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy with fluorouracil in stage II and stage III colon cancer.

The FOLFOX regimen of oxaliplatin and infused fluorouracil plus leucovorin was active and comparatively safe. It should be considered as a standard therapy for patients with advanced colorectal cancer.

The results from this trial reflect a long-term survival advantage with the use of chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery in the treatment of esophageal cancer, and support trimodality therapy as a standard of care for patients with this disease.