Table 6. Grade 3 or 4 toxicity according to NCIC-CTC.
| Irinotecan+5- FU/LV (N=56) | Etoposide+5- FU/LV (N=58) | |
|---|---|---|
| Adverse event category | Percentage of patients in each category | |
| Haematological toxicity | ||
| Anaemia | 7 | 9 |
| Neutropenia | 9 | 57 |
| Thrombocytopenia | 4 | 5 |
| Infection with neutropenia | 4 | 3 |
| Fever+neutropenia, no infection | 2 | 3 |
| Gastrointestinal toxicity | ||
| Nausea | 16 | 7 |
| Diarrhoea | 18 | 0 |
| Vomiting | 7 | 5 |
| Other toxicity | ||
| Infection without neutropenia | 2 | 7 |
| Anorexia | 2 | 7 |
| Alopecia | 5 | 28 |
| Constipation | 2 | 0 |
NCIC-CTC=National Cancer Institute of Canada expanded common toxicity criteria; 5-FU=5-fluorouracil; LV=leucovorin.