While the average life expectancy of patients with advanced colorectal carcinoma is about 6 months without treatment and extends to 10-12 months when 5 FU is administered alone or in combination with LV, mean survival increases to 14-16 months when Irinotecan is added to the 5 fluoruracil based regimen. Survival would extend even more, to 20 months or more, when the 3 drugs are combined in one scheme. As a consequence, the greatest effectiveness of IFL has been adequately documented. The point to discuss is the cost-effectiveness and cost- usefulness of the intervention, considering the high marginal treatment costs and that it is a palliative treatment in a system which has been declared in economic emergency.