The results show that there are cost savings associated with the use of oral therapies. No survival difference has been proven between the oral drugs and the Mayo regimen. In addition, no evidence of a survival difference between the Mayo regimen and the de Gramont regimens has been identified. However, improved progression-free survival and an improved adverse event profile have been shown for the de Gramont regimen over the Mayo regimen and these need to be taken into consideration. These issues can only be indirectly addressed in the absence of direct randomised comparisons between the oral drugs and optimum infusional 5-FU regimens.