Table 1. Patient characteristics.
| Characteristic | Entire series N=150 n (%) | Bolus 5-FU/LV N=75 n (%) | Continuous 5-FU/LV N=75 n (%) | Lactobacillus not given N=52 n (%) | Lactobacillus given N=98 n (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median age (range) | 60 (31–75) | 61 (35–75) | 59 (31–73) | 57 (31–75) | 61 (35–74) |
| Gender | |||||
| Male | 76 (51) | 39 (52) | 37 (49) | 25 (48) | 51 (52) |
| Female | 74 (49) | 36 (48) | 38 (51) | 27 (52) | 47 (48) |
| Site | |||||
| Colon | 90 (60) | 44 (59) | 46 (61) | 31 (60) | 59 (60) |
| Rectum | 60 (40) | 31 (41) | 29 (39) | 21 (40) | 39 (40) |
| Dukes' stage | |||||
| B | 40 (27) | 20 (27) | 20 (27) | 13 (25) | 27 (28) |
| C | 86 (57) | 42 (56) | 44 (59) | 31 (60) | 55 (56) |
| Da | 24 (16) | 13 (17) | 11 (15) | 8 (15) | 16 (16) |
| Rectal radiotherapy | |||||
| Not given | 96 (64) | 48 (64) | 46 (61) | 33 (63) | 63 (64) |
| Given | 54 (36) | 27 (36) | 27 (39) | 19 (37) | 35 (36) |
Abbreviations: 5-FU=5-fluorouracil; LV=leucovorin.
a
Patients were rendered free from all macroscopic cancer by surgery.