ABSTRACT
The adaptation of drug delivery to circadian rhythms (chronotherapy) has been implemented in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer in order to improve chemotherapy tolerability and efficacy. The application of this concept in this disease has been based upon the following:
• the experimental chronopharmacology of the active drugs: 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), floxuridine, methotrexate, mitomycin C, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan;
• the occurrence of near-normal circadian rhythms in groups of colorectal cancer patients;
• the availability of multichannel programmablein-time pumps allowing chronotherapy to be administered without hospitalization.
